What does deodorise mean?
To deodorise is to remove unpleasant smells from something — a room, a piece of fabric, a pair of shoes, a refrigerator — usually by cleaning it or treating it with an odour-neutralising substance. Unlike perfuming, which masks one scent with another, deodorising aims at eliminating or neutralising the offending odour itself, whether through ventilation, absorbents like baking soda or activated charcoal, or dedicated chemical sprays. The verb belongs firmly to everyday, practical English: it turns up in housekeeping guides, product descriptions, laundry instructions, and conversation about freshening up living spaces. It carries no strong connotation beyond its literal sense, though its use implies that something smelled bad to begin with. Spelled 'deodorise' in British English and 'deodorize' in American English, it derives from the Latin word 'odor', meaning smell, prefixed with the negative 'de-'. Its noun cousin, 'deodorant', is far more familiar, but the verb remains the natural choice whenever the goal is simply to make something stop smelling bad.
verbTo remove unpleasant or offensive smells from something, typically by cleaning, treating, or applying a deodorizing agent.
- To remove bad or unwanted smells from a place, object, or material by cleaning, chemical treatment, or a deodorising agent.
"She used baking soda to deodorise the fridge after the power cut."
"The hotel staff deodorised every room before the new guests arrived."
"Activated charcoal can deodorise a wardrobe without any added fragrance."
That box of baking soda in your fridge is doing the same job as this word describes — and the word itself is built straight from Latin 'odor', meaning smell.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deodorise
Deodorise is formed transparently from three parts: the prefix 'de-' (indicating removal), the Latin noun 'odor' meaning smell, and the verb-forming suffix '-ise'. The underlying Latin root also gives English 'odour', 'malodorous', and 'odoriferous'. The word arose in modern English alongside its American variant 'deodorize', both modelled on 'deodorant', which entered English in the nineteenth century.
Related word forms
How deodorise is actually used
Chiefly practical and domestic in register, appearing in household advice, product labelling, and cleaning contexts. The spelling 'deodorise' is standard in British English; 'deodorize' predominates in American English.
Easily confused with deodorise
Deodorise is the British spelling while deodorize is the standard American spelling; they mean exactly the same thing.