Odour: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：unpleasant smell (odour)

odour 🔊

/ˈoʊdər/

A smell, especially one that is bad or unpleasant.

Odour illustrated by a person reacting to spoiled food smell from a refrigerator

unpleasant smell 🔊

➕

/ʌnˈplɛznt smɛl/

A smell that is typically bad, offensive, or disagreeable, often associated with decay, spoilage, or poor hygiene.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Derived from Latin 'odor', meaning 'smell', entering English via Old French.

💡 Mnemonic

Recall 'odour' by linking it to 'oh-dear'—a typical exclamation when encountering a bad smell.

📖 Example

When I opened the old fridge to clean it, a terrible odour of spoiled food hit me. 🔊 Upon opening the old refrigerator for cleaning, I was struck by a horrible smell of spoiled food.

🔗 Collocations

foul odour – a very unpleasant and offensive smell

musty odour – a damp and stale smell, often found in old or poorly ventilated spaces

🔄 Synonyms

stench (n.) – a strong and very unpleasant smell

stink (n.) – a bad or offensive smell

🚫 Antonyms

fragrance (n.) – a sweet or pleasant smell

aroma (n.) – a distinctive, often pleasant smell

🌱 Derivatives

odorous (adj.) – having a smell, especially a noticeable or strong one

odorless (adj.) – without any smell

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'odour' traces back to Latin 'odor'. In contemporary usage, it is commonly employed in fields like environmental science and food safety to describe detectable smells, such as in air quality monitoring or assessing product freshness, highlighting its practical applications.