stank

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stink

1. noun, slang A great fuss or ruckus; a lot of trouble. Used especially in the phrase "make/raise a stink" or similar variations. My mom raised a stink when the store refused to accept her return without a receipt. One of the customers is making a stink about the service charge we included on his bill.

2. noun, slang Something scandalous, controversial, or especially unpleasant. The stink of his association with the corrupt company continues to follow him to this day. He knew it was just a matter of time before the stink surrounding him caught the attention of the authorities.

3. verb, slang To be especially bad, abhorrent, or inferior in quality. Your plan stinks, Tom! There's no way it would work! The timing of this audit just really stinks. The first film was an overlooked classic, but the two sequels both stink.

4. verb, slang To be or seem extremely disreputable, suspicious, or corrupt. This deal between the company and the mayor's office stinks, if you ask me. I'd be willing to bet that someone's pocket is being lined. This city stank to high heaven before I came in and brought some law and order to it.

stink of (something)

1. To smell very potently of something unpleasant. My hands always stink of garlic after I have to chop it up. He came down for his prom stinking of his dad's aftershave. The house stinks of wet dog—open the window!

2. To have a lot of or give the strong impression of something particularly unpleasant, offensive, or insidious. The deal struck by the government and the corporate lobbying groups stinks of corruption. The verdict of the trial stinks of prejudice. Their family positively stinks of money.

stink on ice

To be exceptionally rotten, repulsive, or poor. From the idea of meat stinking with rot even when kept cold on ice. This is a travesty for everyone involved. The whole situation just stinks on ice. I knew the plan stank on ice the moment the boss began describing it.

stink out

1. To fill something with an overpowering smell, especially a bad one. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "stink" and "out." Please don't stink out my car with your nasty cigarettes! We really stank the room out working with those noxious chemicals.

2. To cause someone to leave or flee (some place or thing) due to an overpowering stench. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "stink" and "out." The nest of skunks beneath our porch stank us out of our house for nearly a week.

3. To perform very poorly, especially in sports. They started out strong, but then they really stank out the place in the second half.

stink to high heaven

1. To have a very strong, unpleasant odor. Can you take this trash out? It stinks to high heaven. Ugh, something in this refrigerator stinks to high heaven!

2. To be or seem extremely disreputable, suspicious, or corrupt. This deal between the company and the mayor's office stinks to high heaven, if you ask me. This town stank to high heaven before I came in and brought some law and order to it.

See also: heaven, high, stink, to

stink up

1. To fill something or some place with a foul odor. A noun or pronoun can be used between "stink" and "up." Tom, your tuna sandwich is stinking up the office! Please go eat it somewhere else! Please don't stink the house up with your smoking—if you have to do it, go outside.

2. To give a very poor or poorly received performance in some location. A noun or pronoun can be used between "stink" and "up." Hopefully this awful play won't be stinking up theaters for much longer. I've never seen them play so poorly. They're really stinking the place up tonight.

stink with (something)

1. To smell very potently of something unpleasant. My hands always stink with garlic after I have to chop it up. He came down for his school dance stinking with aftershave. The house stinks with wet dog—open the window!

2. To have an excessive or obscene amount of something; to be rife with something. Their family positively stinks with money. This city has been stinking with corruption for years.

stink on ice

Sl. to be really rotten. (so rotten as to reek even when frozen.) This show stinks on ice. The whole idea stank on ice.

stink something up

to make something or some place smell very bad. Your cooking really stunk the place up! The rotten eggs will stink up the whole house.

stink to high heaven

and smell to high heaven

Fig. to smell very bad. What happened? This place stinks to high heaven. This meat smells to high heaven. Throw it away!

See also: heaven, high, stink, to

stink to high heaven

Also, smell to high heaven. Be of very poor quality; also, be suspect or in bad repute. For example, This plan of yours stinks to high heaven, or His financial schemes smell to high heaven; I'm sure they're dishonest. This expression alludes to something so rank that it can be smelled from a great distance. [c. 1600]

See also: heaven, high, stink, to

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

stink (or smell) to high heaven

have a very strong and unpleasant odour.

See also: heaven, high, stink, to

stink up

1. To cause something to have a strong foul odor: The garbage is stinking up the kitchen. Keep your shoes on so you don't stink the car up with your smelly feet!

2. To perform very poorly in some place: The movie is stinking up theaters across the US. That band really stunk the joint up last night.

stink

1. in. to be repellent; to be suspicious and poorly planned. (Of schemes and plots.) This whole setup stinks.

2. n. a commotion. (see also raise a stink (about someone/something).) The stink you made about money has done no good at all. You’re fired.

stink on ice

in. to be really rotten, bad, poorly done, or repellent. (So rotten as to reek even when frozen.) This show stinks on ice.