smelling salts

noun

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: a usually scented aromatic preparation of ammonium carbonate and ammonia water used as a stimulant and restorative

Examples of smelling salts in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was also a bottle of whiskey, six bottles of Coca-Cola and smelling salts of an unspecified quantity. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026

The Seahawks, defending Super Bowl champions, got a collective whiff of smelling salts before Sunday’s game, having suffered an embarrassing loss at Washington a week earlier. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Allegedly, so many cinema-goers vomited and fainted during the initial screenings of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) that theatre staff had to hand out smelling salts. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Some experts believe the effects of smelling salts are purely psychological. — Jason Jones, New York Times, 15 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for smelling salts

• somersaults
• thunderbolts
• asphalts
• assaults
• basalts
• defaults
• exalts
• faults
• halts
• malts
• vaults
• waltz

Kids Definition

smelling salts

plural noun

: a strong-smelling preparation of ammonia in water used to wake someone who has fainted

Medical Definition

smelling salts

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: a usually scented aromatic preparation of ammonium carbonate and ammonia water used as a stimulant and restorative