noun
irritating smell; pungent odor
Refers to a sharp, often chemical or acrid smell that irritates the nose or throat.
この洗剤は刺激臭が強いので、換気をよくしてください。
This detergent has a strong irritating smell, so please ventilate the area well.
実験室に刺激臭が漂っていた。
A pungent odor hung in the laboratory.
悪臭 means a bad smell or stench, which may or may not be irritating; 刺激臭 emphasizes the irritating quality rather than just unpleasantness.
Compound of 刺激 (しげき, 'irritation, stimulus') and 臭 (しゅう, 'smell, odor').