reek

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A strong unpleasant smell.
2. (Scotland, countable, uncountable) Vapour; steam; smoke; fume.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To have or give off a strong, unpleasant smell.
2. (figuratively, intransitive) To be evidently associated with something unpleasant.
3. (archaic, intransitive) To be emitted or exhaled, emanate, as of vapour or perfume.
4. (archaic, intransitive) To emit smoke or vapour; to steam.
5. (rare, transitive) To cause (something) to smell.
6. (archaic) To fall in such a way (e.g. particularly finely or heavily) as to resemble smoke.

Synonyms

stink

smell

👃

stench

give off an odour

fetor

smoke

fume

pong

malodour

bad smell

smelliness

feel

niff

odor

finger

grope

sense

smell bad

touch

fog

🌫️

belch

evaporation

fetidness

malodorousness

mephitis

odour

smack

steam

emit smoke

vapour

fill with smoke

foetor

malodor

foulness

be disseminated

aflame

extend

exhale

spread

be rank

steamer

exhalation

emit

give off a bad odor

stink out

diffuse

vapor

vaporisation

vaporization

vapors

Translations

puanteur

riechen

👃

stinken

puer

cheirar

👃

puzzo

👃

fetore

apestar

rieken

ruiken

👃

sentire

empester

sentir

👃

geuren

👃

stank

Pronounced as (IPA)

/riːk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: rek

Inherited from Old English: rēc

Cognate with Western Frisian: reek

Cognate with Dutch: rook

Cognate with Low German: Röök

Cognate with German: Rauch

Cognate with Danish: røg

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: røyk

Cognate with Lithuanian: rū̃kti

Cognate with Albanian: regj

Inherited from Middle English: reken

Inherited from Old English: rēocan

Cognate with Dutch: ruiken

Cognate with Low German: rüken

Cognate with German: riechen

Cognate with Danish: ryge

Cognate with Swedish: ryka

In summary

From Middle English rek, reke (“smoke”), from Old English rēc, from Proto-West Germanic *rauki, from Proto-Germanic *raukiz, from Proto-Indo-European *rowgi-.
See also West Frisian reek, riik, Dutch rook, Low German Röök, German Rauch, Danish røg, Norwegian Bokmål røyk; also Lithuanian rū̃kti (“to smoke”), rū̃kas (“smoke, fog”), Albanian regj (“to tan”).