stinking

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɪŋkɪŋ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋkɪŋ

Etymology 1

From Middle English stynkynge, stinkinge, stinkinde, stinkende, stynkande, stynkand, from Old English stincende, from Proto-Germanic *stinkwandz (“stinking”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *stinkwaną (“to stink”), equivalent to stink +‎ -ing. Cognate with Dutch stinkend (“stinking, stinky”), German stinkend (“stinking, stinky”), Danish stinkende (“stinking, stinky”), Norwegian stinkende (“stinking, stinky”).

Adjective

stinking (comparative more stinking, superlative most stinking)

1. Having a pungent smell.
2. Very bad and undesirable.

   Despite leading the way for years, the new model is really stinking.

3. (slang) Very drunk.
   • 2021, Mack Morriss, South Pacific Diary, 1942-1943:

     Oh, I got stinking—and, worse, acted like the world's worst heel to top it off. I passed out mentally about the time we left the club—which must have been around 2:30—but unfortunately didn't pass out physically.

4. (euphemistic) An intensifier, a hypallage.

   We don’t need your stinking sympathy.

Derived terms

• cry stinking fish
• stinking acacia
• stinking badger
• stinking cedar
• stinking corpse lily
• stinking gum
• stinking hawksbeard
• stinking iris
• stinking juniper
• stinking rich
• stinking toe

 

Translations

having a bad smell

• Bashkir: һаҫыҡ (haśıq)
• Bulgarian: вонящ (bg) (vonjašt), смрадлив (bg) (smradliv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 臭的

• Dagbani: baɣibaɣi
• Dutch: stinkt (nl)
• German: stinkig
• Greek:

  Ancient: δυσώδης (dusṓdēs), κάκοσμος (kákosmos)

• Italian: puzzolente (it), puzzoso, fetente (it), fetido (it), maleodorante (it), graveolente
• Latin: foetidus, rancidus
• Maori: whakapiro
• Portuguese: fedorento (pt), fedido (pt)
• Romanian: împuțit (ro)
• Russian: воню́чий (ru) (vonjúčij)
• Scots: mingin
• Spanish: fétido (es)
• Tocharian B: yolo-were
• Volapük: lusmelik

very bad

• Bulgarian: противен (bg) (protiven), отвратителен (bg) (otvratitelen)

Verb

stinking

1. present participle and gerund of stink

Etymology 2

From Middle English stinkinge, stynkynge, equivalent to stink +‎ -ing.

Noun

stinking (plural stinkings)

1. The emission of a foul smell.
   • 2013, Phaedra. C Pezzullo, Cultural Studies and Environment, Revisited, page 42:

     From the magnificent ejaculation of the Waimangu geyser, to the tiniest of gaseous emissions, descriptions of the thermal reserve were rife with dischargings, bubblings and stinkings, quiverings and palpitations, orifices and protuberances.

Middle English

Noun

stinking

1. Alternative form of stynkynge