What does odorousness mean?
Odorousness is a noun meaning the quality or condition of having a noticeable smell. It can refer to any distinctive aroma, but contemporary usage most often presents it as unpleasant, pungent, or offensive. Rather than identifying a particular odor itself, the word emphasizes the presence, degree, or character of a smell as a quality: one may describe the strong odorousness of sweat, the offensive odorousness of a drain, or the subtle odorousness of dried herbs. It is somewhat formal and literary, while the simpler word “smell” is more neutral and common in everyday speech. The term can therefore be useful when precision about a persistent or perceptible smell matters, especially in descriptions, assessments, or discussions of sanitation, food, animals, and environmental conditions. It should not be understood as always negative, although its frequent association with unpleasant odors gives it a distinctly cautionary tone.
nounThe quality or state of being odorous; the characteristic smell of a person or thing. In modern usage, it most often suggests an unpleasant or strongly perceptible smell.
- The quality or state of having a noticeable smell, especially an unpleasant or strongly perceptible one.
"The kitchen was immediately abandoned because of the offensive odorousness drifting from the drain."
"The pungent odorousness of the old cellar permeated the entire building."
"Her description focused on the subtle odorousness of the herbs rather than their taste."
A rare plural used when distinct qualities of smell are being treated separately; the noun is normally an abstract singular and is not commonly pluralized.
"The report distinguished the faint odorousnesses of several stored samples."
The ancient Latin odor lives on in odor, odorous, odoriferous, and malodor—and in odorousness itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does odorousness come from?
Odorousness was formed in English by adding the suffix “-ness” to “odorous.” The adjective “odorous” comes from Latin “odorus,” meaning “having a smell” and often suggesting an offensive smell, and Latin “odorus” was derived from “odor,” meaning “smell” or “odor.” The same Latin root produced related English words such as “odor” and “odoriferous,” while the combining form in “malodor” also incorporates the Latin word for bad.
How odorousness is actually used
More formal and somewhat literary than the everyday word “smell.” Although it can describe any noticeable smell, it most often has an unpleasant or faintly disapproving connotation.
Easily confused with odorousness
An odor is the smell itself, whereas odorousness is the quality or condition of having a noticeable smell.