parosmia

par·osm·ia
P3A1R1O1S1M3I1A1
UK/pəˈɹɒz.mɪ.ə/UK/-ˈɹɒs-/US/pəˈɹɑz.mi.ə/US/-ˈɹɑs-/

noun

A distorted sense of smell, often resulting in the apparent detection of non-existent smells which are mostly unpleasant.

Similar
parosmistroposmiadysosmiaolfactory impairment
Scrabble 12

Meanings

nounparosmia (countable and uncountable, plural parosmias)

plural parosmias

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA distorted sense of smell, often resulting in the apparent detection of non-existent smells which are mostly unpleasant.

    The smell, too, is often perverted—Parosmia. The author was formerly acquainted with a lady, who scented her snuff with the tincture of assafœtida.

    1842, Robley Dunglison, “Of the Neuroses”, in The Practice of Medicine; or, A Treatise on Special Pathology and Therapeutics. […], volume II, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, book VI (Diseases of the Nervous System), page 280
    5 more examples

    Parosmis, from παρα, "male [Latin: ‘badly; wrongly’]," and ὄζω, "oleo, olfacio;" analogously with paracusis and paropsis, and hence preferred to parosmia. The common term among nosologists is anosmia, but this only includes one species of the genus, namely, privation or destitution of smell; which, in fact, is the only one that has hitherto been introduced into nosological systems.

    1817, John Mason Good, “Gen[us] III. Parosmis.”, in A Physiological System of Nosology; […], London: […] Bensley and Son, […], for E. Cox and Son, […], →OCLC, page 320

    Smell disturbances occur quite frequently after head injuries. They consist in unilateral or bilateral hypnosmia or anosmia which may be bound with spontaneous parosmias.

    1949 July, F. C. Sumner, “[Part III.—Bibliography and Epitome.] Smell and Taste Disturbances after Head Injuries.”, in G. W. T. H. Fleming, editor, The Journal of Mental Science: The British Journal of Psychiatry, volume XCV, number 400, London: J[ohn] & A[ugustus] Churchill, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 767

    Parosmia has been reported by a number of patients with head trauma. In some cases, parosmia is a sign of nerve regeneration and the return (at least partially) of the sense of smell. In other cases, parosmia can be severe, persistent, and intrusive.

    1996, “Smell Disorders”, in M. Eric Gershwin, Gary A. Incaudo, editors, Diseases of the Sinuses: A Comprehensive Textbook of Diagnosis and Treatment, Totowa, N.J.: Humana Press, →ISBN, part III (Clinical Disease), page 438, column 1

    Parosmias tend to decrease to a bearable level after approximately one year. However, recent work revealed that more than 50% of the parosmias are still present after two years. Over time, parosmia seems to lose its devastating effect on quality of life.

    2005, B. N. Landis, T. Hummell, J.-S. Lacroix, “Basic and Clinical Aspects of Olfaction”, in J. D. Pickard, editor, Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery, volume 30, Vienna: SpringerWienNewYork, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 88

    In June 2021, a study found that of 1,299 people suffering with long-Covid, that 10.8 percent or 140 of them were suffering with change in their sense of smell. Also known as parosmia, change in your sense of smell can affect everyone differen[tly].

    2022 January 15, Christopher Sharp, “Covid symptoms: Five foods that could trigger parosmia – reported symptom after infection”, in Gary Jones, editor, Daily Express, London: Express Newspapers, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Apr 2022

    Synonyms: parosmis, troposmia

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA distorted sense of smell, often resulting in the apparent detection of non-existent smells which are mostly unpleasant.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna disorder in the sense of smell

Similar
dysosmiaolfactory impairment

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From para- (prefix meaning ‘abnormal’) + -osmia (suffix denoting diseases connected to smelling).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خطل شمي
  • خطل شميdistorted sense of smell
Catalan paròsmia
  • paròsmiadistorted sense of smell
Czech parosmie
  • parosmiedistorted sense of smell
Dutch parosmie
  • parosmiedistorted sense of smell
Finnish parosmia
  • parosmiadistorted sense of smell
French parosmie
  • parosmiedistorted sense of smell
German Parosmie
  • Parosmiedistorted sense of smell
Japanese 刺激性異嗅症
  • 刺激性異嗅症 (shigekiseīkyūshou)distorted sense of smell
Korean 착후각증
  • 착후각증 (chakhugakjeung)distorted sense of smell
Persian بویاییپریشی
  • بویاییپریشیdistorted sense of smell
Polish kakosmia, parosmia
  • kakosmiadistorted sense of smell
  • parosmiadistorted sense of smell
Portuguese parosmia
  • parosmiadistorted sense of smell
Romanian parosmie
  • parosmiedistorted sense of smell
Spanish parosmia
  • parosmiadistorted sense of smell
Swedish parosmi
  • parosmidistorted sense of smell
Ukrainian паросмія, какосмія
  • паросмія (parosmija)distorted sense of smell
  • какосмія (kakosmija)distorted sense of smell
  • тропосмія (troposmija)distorted sense of smell

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

parosmia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parosmia

MLA

“parosmia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parosmia. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parosmia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parosmia.

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