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This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner. Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been viewed 632,779 times.
Co-authors: 54
Updated: March 4, 2023
Views:632,779
Article SummaryX
To describe a smell, take some time to sit with it and jot down any words, images, or emotions that come to mind when you’re smelling it. You can describe the quality of the smell with adjectives like “musty” or “putrid,” or you might choose adjectives that describe its source, like “skunky” or “floral.” Try to be specific and detailed, but keep your language simple so the description isn’t overblown. For more tips on describing a smell, like how to borrow words from other senses, keep reading!
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FAQs
Use adjectives.
How do you describe smell examples? ›
Some adjectives to describe the nuances of scent:
- Flowers: soft, delicate, powdery.
- Citrus fruits: tangy, tart, acidic.
- Woods: earthy, musky, deep.
- Spices: warm, fragrant, inviting.
Olfaction, the sense of smell detects and discriminate odors as well as social cues which influence our innate re-sponses. The olfactory system in human beings is found to be weak as compared to other animals; however, it seems to be very precise.
How do you describe smell scientifically? ›
Something in the Air. Your sense of smell is called olfaction. Your sense of smell relies on your nose's recognition of tiny particles in the air called odorants. Odorant particles are released from their source for many different reasons.
What is a scent description? ›
a distinctive odor, especially when agreeable: the scent of roses. an odor left in passing, by means of which an animal or person may be traced. a track or trail as or as if indicated by such an odor: The dogs lost the scent and the prisoner escaped.
What are the 10 examples of smell? ›
In doing this, Castro and this colleagues identified 10 basic odour qualities: fragrant, woody/resinous, fruity (non-citrus), chemical, minty/peppermint, sweet, popcorn, lemon and two kinds of sickening odours: pungent and decayed.
What is an example of a strong smell? ›
Examples include blue cheese, cigar smoke, fecal matter (e.g., manure), sweat, and sometimes, smells of onion and garlic. Sickening or decaying: They are more advanced than sharp/pungent smells. These types of smell cause a person to dry heave when the nose detects them in heavy concentrations.
What is a positive word for a smell or scent? ›
Word smell is neutral, Words odor and stench are nouns describing unpleasant smell so they are negative. Aroma is a nice smell, so it has positive connotation.
How to describe smell in creative writing? ›
Use these words that describe smells when you are setting a scene.
- anosmic – odourless, no smell at all.
- antiseptic – disinfectant smell / or no smell.
- aroma – a smell that is strong but pleasant.
- comforting – pleasant aroma.
- delicate – subtle, faint, smell that is not overpowering.
Methods: We adopted an in-silico approach to study key and common odorants features with seven fundamental odors (floral, fruity, minty, nutty, pungent, sweet, and woody).
Some common synonyms of fragrant are aromatic, odorous, and redolent. While all these words mean "emitting and diffusing scent," fragrant applies to things (such as flowers or spices) with sweet or agreeable odors.
What are words for describing scents? ›
Related Words
- ambrosial.
- balmy.
- fragrant.
- odoriferous.
- perfumed.
- pungent.
- redolent.
- savory.
Use sensory words like 'crisp', 'fresh' or 'warm', 'velvety' or 'soft' versus 'sharp' to describe your sensory experience when smelling a particular note. Perfumers don't like using these terms as they are 'subjective' and 'personal'. However, they are ideal when speaking about a very personal fragrance description.
What are the different types of smells with examples? ›
Odors in the fragrant category included lavender, soap and cologne, while freshly cut grass and mushrooms gave off a woody/resinous smell. Eucalyptus, camphor and tea leaves were considered minty/peppermint scents. Sweet odors included vanilla, almond and chocolate. Kerosene and ammonia fell into the chemical category.
