Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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smell, smells, smelling, smelt

Synonyms: scent, sniff, inhale, detect, perceive

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Antonyms: be odorless, mask, deodorize, ignore, be unscented

The Verb Smell – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb smell is an irregular verb that means to perceive the odor or scent of something using your nose. It can also mean to give off a particular odor.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: smell
■ Past Simple: smelled or smelt
■ Past Participle: smelled or smelt
■ Present Participle/Gerund: smelling


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Smell' is used for both the act of perceiving a scent and the act of emitting one.


1. Perceiving an Odor (Sensing)
This is an action of the nose.


■ Action: 'I can smell gas; is there a leak?'
■ Investigation: 'The dog was smelling the ground.'


2. Emitting an Odor (Giving off a Scent)
This describes the quality of an object. Here, it is a linking verb.


■ Scent: 'The flowers smell wonderful.' / 'That old cheese smells awful.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: 'SMELLED' VS. 'SMELT'


The use of the two past tense forms is a key difference between American and British English.


■ Smelled: This is the standard and much more common form in American English for all contexts.
■ Smelt: This form is common in British English, alongside 'smelled.'
■ Both forms are considered correct, but it's best to stick to 'smelled' in American English to sound more natural.