malodor

M3A1L1O1D2O1R1
UK/ˌmælˈəʊ.də(ɹ)/US/ˌmælˈoʊ.dɚ/

noun

An offensive odor.

Similar
malodourstenchstinkreekfetorfoetormephitis
OriginEnglish odor ← Old French mal- ← Latin male →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounmalodor (plural malodors)

plural malodors · alternative malodour

  1. An offensive odor.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

Similar
malodourstenchstinkreekfetorfoetormephitis
Broader
smellodorodour
Also see
fetormephitisnosesorereekstenchstink

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)molos?
  3. Proto-Italic*malos
  4. Latinmalus
  5. Latinmale
  6. Old Frenchmal-
  7. Englishmal-
  8. Englishodor
  9. Englishmalodor

From mal- (“bad”) + odor.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

malodor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malodor

MLA

“malodor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malodor. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “malodor,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malodor.

Source: malodor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.