SMELL WORDS
Words that help you describe a smell.
37 everyday smell words, grouped into families. Each word links to the SmellBook entries it describes. They describe how smells are commonly perceived; they are not measurements.
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Temperature and texture
How a smell seems to feel: warm or cool, dry or soft. Smells in this family
Warm
A heat-associated, comforting or softly enveloping smell direction.
63 smells ↗Cool
Temperature-like freshness: cold air, shade, water, stone or mint-like coolness.
19 smells ↗Dry
Low-humidity, paper, wood or powder-like perception.
52 smells ↗Soft
Gentle, rounded and low-intensity impressions such as fabric, skin, powder or petal.
29 smells ↗Creamy
Soft, rounded dairy, cosmetic or rich texture-like smell language.
12 smells ↗Powdery
Fine, soft, cosmetic or dust-like smell character.
4 smells ↗Waxy
Wax, honey and soft lipid-like material smell character.
3 smells ↗
Fresh and clean
Bright, airy and green smells, from cut leaves to sea air. Smells in this family
Fresh
A bright, newly aired or recently changed sensory impression.
55 smells ↗Clean
A cultural and sensory idea of freshness, order and washed materials.
39 smells ↗Green
Leafy, stemmy, botanical or plant-like freshness.
35 smells ↗Herbal
Leafy aromatic herb and dried-plant directions.
11 smells ↗Citrus
Bright peel-like freshness ranging from juicy to bitter and aromatic.
7 smells ↗Marine
Sea air, spray and seaweed: salty, open, coastal smell language.
3 smells ↗
Sweet, fruity and floral
Smells we often link with sugar, ripe fruit and flowers. Smells in this family
Sweet
Sugary, honeyed, creamy or dessert-associated aromatic character.
32 smells ↗Fruity
Fresh, ripe or juicy fruit-associated smell language.
18 smells ↗Tropical
Fruit and product smell language associated with warm-climate fruit and holiday cues.
5 smells ↗Floral
Flower and petal-associated smell language.
13 smells ↗Tangy
Bright sour or cultured smell character in food and fruit.
5 smells ↗
Sharp and bitter
Smells that bite, sting or catch the back of the nose. Smells in this family
Bitter
Sharp, peel-like, roasted or green-edged aromatic character.
8 smells ↗Pungent
Strong, sharp food or product smells that feel immediately present.
7 smells ↗Salty
Marine, coastal and salt-air associations.
5 smells ↗Spicy
Warm, pungent or aromatic spice character.
7 smells ↗Chemical
Manufactured, solvent-like or treated-water smells such as pool chlorine and fresh paint.
2 smells ↗
Wood, earth and stone
Forests, soil, resin, rock and metal. Smells in this family
Woody
Dry grain, timber, pencil-shaving or forest-like character.
34 smells ↗Resinous
Sticky tree resin, pine sap, cedar and incense: dense, balsamic woody character.
7 smells ↗Earthy
Soil, forest-floor, root and damp-ground character.
17 smells ↗Mineral
Stone, damp surface and cool non-sweet impressions.
10 smells ↗Metallic
Cold metal, coins, rails and machinery: a sharp, mineral-like impression associated with metal surfaces.
10 smells ↗
Cooked and fermented
What heat, smoke and time do to food and wood. Smells in this family
Roasted
Heat-developed dark, toasted and browned aromatic character.
11 smells ↗Smoky
Smoke, ash, charred or resin-burning smell directions.
6 smells ↗Grain
Rice, corn, bread and cereal-like food smell directions.
6 smells ↗Fermented
Sour, tangy or ripe character from fermentation, as in vinegar, yogurt and cheese.
3 smells ↗
Animal, material and lived-in
Paper, cloth, workshops, stored things and animals. Smells in this family
Paper
Paper, print, book and packaging smell directions.
14 smells ↗Fabric
Textile, laundry and soft-fiber smell directions.
23 smells ↗Industrial
Manufactured, transport, workshop and material-forward smell language.
23 smells ↗Stored
Low-airflow, aged, boxed or seasonally stored smell character.
6 smells ↗Animalic
Animal, fur, body or warm organic smell character.
4 smells ↗
These families are an editorial aid for finding words. They are not a scientific classification of smells, and each word is placed in one family even when it could fit more than one.