stink

stink¹ S3 [stıŋk] v past tense stank [stæŋk] past participle stunk [stʌŋk]

[: Old English; Origin: stincan]

1.) to have a strong and very unpleasant smell

▪ It stinks in here!

stink of

▪ His breath stank of alcohol.

▪ The toilets stank to high heaven (=stank very much) .

2.) [i]spoken used to say that something is bad, unfair, dishonest etc

▪ Don't eat there - the food stinks!

▪ The whole justice system stinks.

stink out [stink sth<=>out] phr v

to fill a place with a very unpleasant smell

▪ Those onions are stinking the whole house out.

stink ²

stink² n [C usually singular]

1.) a very bad smell

= ↑stench stink of

▪ the stink of burning rubber

2.) cause/kick up/make etc a stink

to complain very strongly

▪ Activists have raised a stink about the shipments of nuclear waste.

3.) work/run/go like stink

BrE old-fashioned to work etc as fast and as well as you can

▪ We had to work like stink to meet the deadline.