Fetid
'fiːtɪd
Definitions
Having an extremely unpleasant smell.
'fiːtɪd
Having a strong, offensive smell; stinking.
The fetid swamp water was filled with decaying vegetation.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're walking by the garbage cans on a hot summer day—that awful smell? That's fetid! It means something is really, really stinky and gross.
👶 For kids: Smells really, really bad like something yucky is rotting.
More Examples
A fetid stench permeated the abandoned building.
The fetid odor of the refuse pile made me gag.
How It's Used
"The fetid air hung heavy in the swamp, making it difficult to breathe."
"A fetid odor emanated from the decaying carcass."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
From Latin *fētidus*, meaning 'stinking' or 'foul-smelling'. The word is related to *foetere*, meaning 'to stink'.
The word 'fetid' has been used since the 17th century to describe foul-smelling things, particularly in medical and scientific contexts.
Memory tip
Think of a *faucet* that's leaking something *ted*ious and smelly.
Word Origin
"stinking, foul-smelling"