Browse all

stink up

B1 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To make somewhere smell really bad.

Literal meaning: To send a stink upward through a space.

Meanings

1 B1 informal

To fill a room or space with a very unpleasant smell.

"Who left their gym bag in here? It's stinking the whole locker room up."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic slang

To ruin or spoil something badly (figurative, American slang).

"Their terrible performance stunk up what should have been a great season."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Primarily used in American English. The British equivalent is 'stink out.' Common in casual speech. The object (the place) can go between 'stink' and 'up' or after 'up.'

Commonly used with

room house car bathroom kitchen place

Forms

Base
stink up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stinks up
he/she/it
Past simple
stinked up
yesterday
Past participle
stinked up
have + pp
-ing form
stinking up
continuous

Understand "stink up" better

Try:

Real video examples

Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.

Want to master this phrasal verb?

Practice "stink up" on Looplines