What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
odorific
Example
The bakery's odorific pastries made my mouth water. [odorific: adjective]
Example
The odorific bouquet of flowers filled the room with a sweet aroma. [odorific: adjective]
smelly
Example
The garbage can was so smelly that I had to hold my breath. [smelly: adjective]
Example
The socks in the laundry basket were getting smelly and needed to be washed. [smelly: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Smelly is more commonly used than odorific in everyday language. Smelly is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while odorific is less common and may be considered more formal or literary.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between odorific and smelly?
Odorific is often considered more formal or literary than smelly, which is more commonly used in informal contexts.