also: くせー · くっせー
i-adjective
stinking; smelly; bad-smelling
The basic sense: something has an unpleasant odor. It is a direct negative word and can sound blunt when said about people or their belongings.
冷蔵庫の中が臭い。
The inside of the refrigerator smells bad.
この靴下、ちょっと臭くない？
Don't these socks smell a bit?
i-adjective
Figurative use for something that feels dubious or dishonest, as if it has a bad smell. Common with 話, 取引, 事件, or やり方.
その話はどうも臭い。
That story sounds fishy somehow.
彼の説明には臭いところがある。
There is something suspicious about his explanation.
i-adjective
hammy; over-the-top; cheesy
Used critically for acting, lines, direction, or style that feels exaggerated, theatrical, or embarrassingly affected.
あの俳優の演技は少し臭い。
That actor's performance is a bit hammy.
最後のせりふが臭すぎて笑ってしまった。
The final line was so cheesy that I laughed.
i-adjective
clumsy; unskilled; awkwardly amateurish
A limited evaluative use for something that feels unpolished or awkwardly done; in modern speech, more specific words such as 下手 or ぎこちない are often clearer.
新人の頃は、せりふ回しがまだ臭かった。
When he was new, his delivery was still awkward and amateurish.
i-adjective
gamey; strong-tasting; overly strong in flavor
Used of food whose smell and flavor are strong, animal-like, fermented, or otherwise hard to ignore. It often implies the taste is too strong, though some people may like it.
この鹿肉は少し臭いけれど、赤ワインに合う。
This venison is a little gamey, but it goes well with red wine.
臭いチーズが好きな人もいる。
Some people like strong-smelling cheese.
suffix, i-adjective
smelling of; reeking of
Suffix use after a noun, forming an い-adjective meaning that something smells of that noun. Often negative or blunt: 汗臭い, 酒臭い, カビ臭い.
彼のシャツは汗臭い。
His shirt smells of sweat.
部屋がカビ臭くなっている。
The room has started to smell moldy.
suffix, i-adjective
-ish; looking like; smacking of
Suffix use after a noun or stem, forming an い-adjective meaning that something seems to have that quality, often in a negative or dismissive way: 嘘臭い, 子供臭い, 素人臭い.
その言い訳は嘘臭い。
That excuse sounds fake.
彼のデザインは少し素人臭い。
His design looks a little amateurish.
その発言は政治臭い。
That remark smacks of politics.