<p><strong>Verb (used with object)</strong></p><ul><li>smelled or smelt, smell·ing.</li><li>to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of: I smell something burning.</li><li>to test by the sense of smell: She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.</li><li>to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity: The detective smelled foul play.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb (used without object)</strong></p><ul><li>smelled or smelt, smell·ing.</li><li>to perceive something by its odor or scent.</li><li>to search or investigate (followed by around or about).</li><li>to give off or have an odor or scent: Do the yellow roses smell?</li><li>to give out an offensive odor; stink.</li><li>to have a particular odor (followed by of): My hands smell of fish.</li><li>to have a trace or suggestion (followed by of).</li><li>Informal. to be of inferior quality; stink: The play is good, but the direction smells.</li><li>Informal. to have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption: They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.</li><li>the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.</li><li>a trace or suggestion.</li><li>an act or instance of smelling.</li><li>a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence: the smell of money.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb Phrase</strong></p><ul><li>to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out: to smell out enemy spies.</li><li>to fill with an offensive odor; stink up: The garbage smelled up the yard.</li></ul>