stinker

noun

stink·​er ˈstiŋ-kər How to pronounce stinker (audio)
Synonyms of stinkernext
1
a
: an offensive or contemptible person
b
: one that stinks
c
: something of very poor quality
also : dud sense 2a
the movie is a stinker
2
: any of several large petrels that have an offensive odor
3
slang : something extremely difficult
the examination was a real stinker

Synonyms

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Examples of stinker in a Sentence

He is a dirty little stinker. a real stinker of a performance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There have been some stinkers, but Survivor remains a strong performer for CBS for a reason. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025 That’s not what happened with Trump’s cabinet as the 53 Republicans held fast and shoved through all of them, including some real stinkers like Pete Hegseth, Bobby Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025 Yeah even you in the negative comments you little stinkers. — Scott Thompson, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2025 But that serendipitous cinematic education taught more than one generation of film lovers (and future filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, who was all but weaned on late night movies) about film history, the classics as well as the stinkers. — Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stinker

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stinker was in 1602

Rhymes for stinker

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Cite this Entry

“Stinker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stinker. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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