stunk

Definition of stunknext
past participle of stink
1
as in smelled
to give off an extremely unpleasant smell the dog stinks because she tangled with a skunk again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in sucked
to be objectionable or unsatisfactory their team really stinks this year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stunk Nikola Jokic stunk in Game 3 on Thursday in Minneapolis. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 And after a decade without postseason play in town, few fans have been brave enough to suggest the team should have intentionally stunk again instead. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Younger players either watched or didn’t improve as the Raiders stunk on ice. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026 Dolphins have stunk lately in weather like this. — Greg Cote january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunk
Verb
  • In my early memories, my grandfather had smelled like carpet cleaner.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For Dylan Feierabend, there are few things more life-affirming than fishing for redtail surfperch and smelt at Centerville Beach in rural Humboldt County.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Look, these schools and teams sucked the fun out of sports with their BLM rallies on Instagram and lectures on Facebook and in the media.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The authors posit that people from that period sucked on betel nuts to relieve tooth pain, given that these populations are known to have had bad teeth and arecoline is a natural analgesic.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The main barn had collapsed, the lodge reeked of pack rats, garter snakes had claimed another building, and one of the cabins was leaning downhill.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Mystic of my childhood, though, had a modicum of edge — kids with anarchy symbols on their jackets skateboarded outside a coffee shop that reeked of weed, and locals got rowdy at a dysfunctional watering hole called the Draw Bridge Inne.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunk. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!