to have a strong, unpleasant smell, to give an impression of something unpleasant or undesirable

reek havoc, reek of desperation, reek with irony

Formal and Informal Expressions of reek

In different contexts, you can replace 'reek' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'emit an odor' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'smell, stink' is a commonplace synonym.

reek: Explore its Definition & Usage

reek Definition

1to have a strong, unpleasant smell
2to give an impression of something unpleasant or undesirable

Using reek: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "reek" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The kitchen reeks of garlic.
Example
The whole place reeked of stale cigarette smoke.
Example
His clothes reeked with sweat.
Example
The proposal reeks of corruption.

reek Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for reek

smell
stink
reek of
reek with
emit an odor

Phrases with reek

reek havoc
cause chaos or destruction
Example
The storm reeked havoc on the small town.
reek of desperation
give a strong impression of being in a state of despair
Example
His actions reeked of desperation as he tried to save his failing business.
reek with irony
have a strong sense of irony
Example
Her statement reeked with irony as she criticized her friend for being late when she herself was always late.

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Summary: reek in Brief

The verb 'reek' [riːk] means to have a strong, unpleasant smell or to give an impression of something unpleasant or undesirable. It can be used to describe smells like garlic or cigarette smoke, or to describe proposals that seem corrupt. Phrases like 'reek havoc' and 'reek of desperation' extend its usage to other contexts.