come out smelling of roses

A form of smell like a rose — To be regarded as appealing, virtuous, or respectable; to be untainted or unharmed.

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Meanings

verbcome out smelling of roses (third-person singular simple present comes out smelling of roses, present participle coming out smelling of roses, simple past came out smelling of roses, past participle come out smelling of roses)

present singular third person comes out smelling of roses · participle present coming out smelling of roses · past came out smelling of roses

  1. alternativeAlternative form of smell like a rose.
Cite this entry
APA

come out smelling of roses. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20out%20smelling%20of%20roses

MLA

“come out smelling of roses.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20out%20smelling%20of%20roses. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come out smelling of roses,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20out%20smelling%20of%20roses.

Source: come out smelling of roses on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.