French word

puant

Pronunciation

IPA/pɥɑ̃/

Meaning

  • adjectivesmelly

Example

Cette poubelle est puante.

This trash can is smelly.

Illustration for puant (smelly)

More examples

Il y a une odeur puante dans la cuisine.

There is a foul smell in the kitchen.

Core concept

A rotten stench that seems to cling not only to an object but also to a morally suspect affair.

Common phrases

  • odeur puante

    foul smell

  • poubelle puante

    smelly garbage can

Similar words

sale: Covered in dirt and seeming unhygienic.
dégoûtant: Causing a strong feeling of disgust.
dégueulasse: So unpleasant that it provokes disgust and contempt.

Definition in French

Qui, au sens propre, dégage une odeur nauséabonde; au sens figuré, qui inspire du dégoût ou soulève des soupçons.

Word origin

French puant developed from puer, from Latin putere, a verb associated with rotting and foul smells.

Usage tips

  • Applied to a person, affair, or situation, puant expresses strong condemnation rather than a mild complaint about an odor.

Other meanings

  • unpleasantadjective

Opposites

  • inodoreodorlessadjective
  • parfuméscentedadjective

Related words

  • puanteurstenchnoun

Word lists with this word