stink like a polecat

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To have a bad smell, mostly referring to human body odor.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “stink like a polecat” mean?

To have a bad smell, mostly referring to human body odor.

Is “stink like a polecat” formal or informal?

stink like a polecat is generally derogatory, slang.