words to describe smells

As day fades into night the bustling sounds of of the of diurnal gives way to the whims of the nocturnal. The clinking and clanking of human activity ceases and the is replaced by the chirps, croaks, and squeeks of the night creatures. I settle in to sleep as the sounds of evening begin to wane to an eerie silence. At first this silence is deafening, but as my ears adjust I can make out the whispering hum of cars speeding down a distant highway

the muted sounds continue most of the night interrupted only by the occasional snap of a twig, or the rustling of leaves made by the various forest creatures foraging for food. Suddenly the the near silence is pierced by a shrill cry " Whippoor will....... whipooor will" the sound seems to travel around the forest each time coming from a new location. As dawn approaches the stillness of night is replaced with the tweets and chirps of the early birds, and the rustling and chattering of squirrels.

Descriptive Words Set the Mood It is said that a person’s sense of smell may be the strongest link to memories, even more than sight or hearing. Indeed, scents can bring back the past or can set the mood for new experiences. With a few poetic lines, a reader can visualize precisely how an author was feeling, down to the very smell in the room. It’s only natural to incorporate adjectives for smell into writing and dialogue. As you continue to create interesting scenes within your writing, utilize this list of descriptive words to help engage readers in your stories. Get ready to bring entire universes to life with your words.

Outdoorsy or Natural Adjectives for Smell The great outdoors is filled with fragrances that most people can relate to, so nature words are often used to describe or explain scent. airy - natural smelling, like clean, fresh air clean - very light scent, clean and natural crisp - fresh and natural earthy - recently dug or tilled soil fresh - natural smelling, rather than artificial

loamy - fragrance with an earthy note feminine - floral fragrances floral - scents associated with flowers flowery - fragrance similar to flowers masculine - earthy fragrances pine - crisp, refreshing evergreen smell lilac - rich floral scent combining rose with vanilla

moist - smell of dew or rainfall rose - spicy yet sweet fragrance smoky - scent of burning wood woodsy - forest-like smell

Food-Related Words to Describe Smell There can be a close association between the senses of taste and smell, so it makes sense that fragrances are often described in terms of foods. citrusy - crisp notes of any citrus fruit fishy - smelling of fish; pungent, strong, unpleasant lemony - tart, piquant citrus notes lime - refreshing and zesty citrus smell minty - menthol-like smell, think mint tea or peppermint candy

savory - spicy, salty scent that has no elements of sweetness spicy - sharp, heady, can sting or tickle the nose sour - rancid, sickly sweet smell sweet - sugary smell tart - sharp fragrance

Adjectives to Describe the Depth of Scent Some scents are very light while others are extremely strong with a lot of variation in between. billowy - scent that surges and wanes biting - pungent, sharp or harsh fragrance faint - very light or mild fragrance; can barely be detected heady - very strong aroma

misty - mild fragrance, not overpowering overpowering - too strong of a smell pungent - strong fragrance redolent - having a strong, permeating odor rich - a strong, resounding smell that is appealing to the senses sharp - pungent fragrance that permeates the air wispy - hint of fragrance in the air perfumed - artificial fragrance, not natural-smelling

Descriptive Terms for Unpleasant Scents Simply saying that something smells bad isn’t very descriptive. Use appropriate adjectives to convey what an unpleasant odor smells like. acid - sour, burnt odor; vinegary smell acrid - strong, biting smell, such as something that’s on fire dirty - nasty, unpleasant odor; unwashed and in need of washing doggy - odor like an unbathed or wet canine fetid - decaying or rotting smell

mildewed - soaked in wetness that has gone stale moldy - damp, fungus-like odor musty - old smell; stale and probably moldy nauseating - odor that makes one sick to one’s stomach plastic - artificial chemical polymer odor putrid - stench of decay rancid - spoiled; food that has gone bad

repulsive - off-putting odor rotten - spoiled, rancid, unpalatable skunky - noxious smell that lingers; sulfuric (like rotten eggs) odor stale - old, dusty, stagnant odor spoiled - rotten; something that has “gone bad” stinking - unpleasant, foul smell sweaty - perspiration odor

Scent Synonyms The word scent can refer to a lovely perfume or a strong odor. There are many synonyms you can use instead to avoid repetition. While each of these words can be used to mean the same thing as scent in certain contexts, the associated connotation can be quite different. You might talk about how much you love the aroma of freshly baked bread, but it wouldn't make much sense to talk about the pheromone of freshly baked bread.

aroma - strong, yet pleasant scent aura - smell surrounding something balm - soothing scent bouquet - blend of floral scents essence - basic, natural scent fragrance - pleasant smell incense - strong scent odorize - changing the scent perfume - added scent

pheromone - natural scents smell - odor, smell, scent trace - a tiny amount of fragrance whiff - a fleeting scent

If you're looking for antonyms of the word "scent" instead, you could use such words as stench, stink or reek. These have much more of a negative connotation to them, like how you might talk about the stench of a dumpster in a back alley.