What does malodour mean?
Malodour is a formal noun meaning an unpleasant or offensive smell. It is especially common in British English and in literary, descriptive, or professional contexts, where its slightly old-fashioned tone may make a smell seem especially noticeable, persistent, or unpleasant. In everyday speech, speakers are more likely to say “bad smell,” “stink,” or “reek.” The word can describe odours from spoiled food, blocked drains, smoke, chemicals, animals, or other sources that produce a disagreeable sensory impression. Although it can be used in neutral reporting, it often conveys a stronger or more vivid unpleasantness than the general word “smell.” Malodour is related to the adjective “malodorous,” meaning having an unpleasant smell, and derives from the same Latin and Romance elements as “odour” and “odor.”
nounA bad or unpleasant smell. The word is more literary or formal than the everyday expressions “bad smell” and “stench.”
- An unpleasant or offensive smell.
"A faint malodour drifted through the corridor as the drain began to overflow."
"The old refrigerator filled the kitchen with a persistent malodour."
"Investigators noticed a strong malodour near the sealed door."
The plural is used when referring to multiple distinct unpleasant smells.
"Strong malodours drifted through several rooms of the building."
Malodour gives an unpleasant smell a formal, almost literary edge: it is the word to use when a bad smell deserves more weight than “stink.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does malodour come from?
Malodour was formed in the late nineteenth century from the combining form “mal-,” representing Latin malus, “bad,” and “odour,” meaning “smell.” The construction follows the pattern of many English words formed with the Latin prefix meaning “bad” or “evil.” Its adjective cognate, “malodorous,” developed from the same elements and is now the most familiar form of the word family.
Related word forms
How malodour is actually used
The spelling is especially associated with British English, while the variant “malodor” is more common in American English. In ordinary conversation, “stink,” “bad smell,” or “reek” are generally more natural.