Fetid
/ˈfɛtɪd/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Fetid means having a strong, bad smell that is usually caused by something decaying or dirty. It is a word used to describe smells that are very unpleasant and can make people feel uncomfortable or want to move away.
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See It in Action
Having a very bad, strong smell caused by rot, decay, or dirt
- •The fetid water near the old factory made everyone feel sick.
- •After the storm, the streets were filled with fetid garbage and mud.
- •The fetid smell from the abandoned house was unbearable.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'fetid' like 'smelly' (A1 word), but much stronger and more unpleasant—like a bad smell that makes you cover your nose
- ✓Picture a garbage bin left in the sun for days, with a thick, heavy smell that fills the air and makes you want to leave quickly
- ✓It's the feeling when you walk into a room where food has spoiled and the air is hard to breathe because of the bad smell
- ✓Sounds like 'FET-id' → imagine a 'FETch' dog running through dirty, smelly mud and bringing the bad smell with it
- ✓Remember stories or movies where characters enter a dark cave or swamp with a terrible smell that warns them something is wrong
- ✓NOT like 'stinky' (a common bad smell which can be mild), 'fetid' is stronger and more serious, often linked to decay or rot
- ✓NOT like 'fragrant' or 'pleasant' which mean nice smells, 'fetid' means the opposite—very bad and offensive smell
Try Other Words
- •Stinky: bad smell but less strong (Use when the smell is unpleasant but not extreme)
- •Putrid: rotten and very bad smell (Use when emphasizing decay and rot)
- •Rank: strong and unpleasant smell (Use in informal speech for very bad odors)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix, root word 'fetid')
- •Etymology: from Latin 'fetidus,' meaning 'to stink' or 'smell bad'
- •Historical development: used in English since the 1600s to describe strong, unpleasant odors
- •Modern usage: mostly used in formal or descriptive writing to describe very bad smells, often in nature or decay
Reflect & Connect
•What kinds of places or things do you think would have a fetid smell? Why?
•How does the word fetid help you understand the difference between a mild bad smell and a very strong, unpleasant one?
Fill in the blanks
1.The fetid smell in the room was caused by ___ garbage left for days in the heat.
2.When the water became fetid, people knew it was ___ and unsafe to drink.
3.Unlike a simple stinky odor, fetid smells usually come from ___ or decay.
4.The explorers avoided the cave because of the fetid air that made it hard to ___.
5.The fetid smell was so strong that it ___ the entire house.
6.She covered her nose because the fetid smell made her feel ___.
7.When a place is described as fetid, it often means it is ___ or very dirty.