smelly
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Having signs that suggest a design problem; having a code smell.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
That smelly code needs to be refactored.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “smelly” mean?
Having signs that suggest a design problem; having a code smell.
Is “smelly” formal or informal?
smelly is generally slang.