fetid

/ˈfɛdɪd/

If you want to understand the true meaning of fetid, leave your sweaty gym clothes in your locker for a few days. Fetid is a fancy way of saying that something smells really bad.

From the Latin word meaning "stinking," this adjective has been in use since the early 15th century, which was a particularly fetid time in history — showers, laundry detergent, and deodorant had not yet been invented. Here's an easy way to remember it: "the fe(e)t (d)id stink." It's sometimes spelled foetid.

Definitions of fetid

1. adjective

   offensively malodorous
   synonyms: foetid, foul, foul-smelling, funky, ill-scented, noisome, smelly, stinking

   ill-smelling, malodorous, malodourous, stinky, unpleasant-smelling

   having an unpleasant smell