reek
reek Lexical Profile
reek Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To smell strongly and unpleasantly; to emit a foul odor.
"After the marathon in the humid heat, his running gear began to reek of sweat."
To carry a strong, unmistakable, and usually offensive suggestion or impression of something (followed by 'of').
"The committee's sudden decision to award the contract without a public bid reeked of corruption."
To emit smoke, steam, vapor, or fumes.
"The damp timber continued to reek and smolder long after the main fire was extinguished."
• noun
A strong, foul, and unpleasant smell or odor.
"The overpowering reek of stale fish lingered in the market long after the vendors had packed up."
Scottish Thick smoke, vapor, steam, or fog.
"A dense reek of peat smoke rose from the cottage chimneys into the chilly evening air."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'reek' (to emit a foul odor) with its homophone 'wreak' (to cause or inflict a large amount of damage, as in 'wreak havoc').
• Rhymes for reek
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'rec' (noun) and 'reocan' (verb), meaning smoke, vapor, or steam, of Germanic origin and cognate with German 'Rauch' (smoke). The modern sense of a strong, unpleasant odor developed in the 17th century from the notion of thick, foul-smelling smoke.