stink to high heaven
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To have a very strong and unpleasant smell.
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
He could stand snakes, but alligators he disliked. It was the way they dragged their victims underneath the water and buried them, waiting until the corpse became rotten. That was the way they liked their meat—stinking to high heaven. The thought of such a death filled him with dread.
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).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Of a person or situation: to be highly ethically dubious; also, of a person: to be very incompetent.
Register: derogatory, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “stink to high heaven” mean?
To have a very strong and unpleasant smell.
Is “stink to high heaven” formal or informal?
stink to high heaven is generally derogatory, slang.