Smelling bad; having an unpleasant odor. The basic meaning used for things, places, or body odor.
ゴミ箱の中が臭いので捨てた。
The garbage can smelled bad, so I threw it out.
この靴は長時間履くと臭くなる。
These shoes get smelly if you wear them for a long time.
部屋に入った瞬間、何か臭いがした。
The moment I entered the room there was a smell.
Suspicious; fishy. Used figuratively when a situation or circumstance seems dubious or off.
彼の説明はどこか臭いと感じた。
I found his explanation kind of suspicious.
この価格設定には臭いがある。慎重に調べよう。
There's something fishy about this pricing. Let's investigate carefully.
売買の経緯が臭くて契約を保留した。
The circumstances of the sale seemed fishy, so I put the contract on hold.
Hammy; overly theatrical or cheesy (acting). A colloquial way to criticize exaggerated performance.
あの俳優の泣き方はちょっと臭いね。
That actor's way of crying is a bit hammy.
台詞を大げさに言うと臭く聞こえることがある。
If you say lines too dramatically they can sound cheesy.
Clumsy; unskilled. A colloquial way to say someone's performance or handling is awkward.
彼のプレーは今日は臭くてミスが多い。
His play was clumsy today and he made many mistakes.
説明が臭くてよく分からなかった。
The explanation was clumsy and I couldn't understand it well.
Gamey or strong-tasting (of meat/fish). Describes a strong flavor or smell that some find off-putting.
この鹿肉は少し臭いけど、慣れると美味しい。
This venison is a bit gamey, but it's tasty once you get used to it.
古くなったチーズは強く臭うことがある。
Aged cheese can sometimes smell very strong.
Suffix meaning 'smelling of' or 'having the odor of' (e.g., abura-kusai = smelling of oil).
油臭い服は洗濯が必要だ。
Clothes with an oily smell need to be washed.
Suffix meaning '‑ish' or '‑like' (colloquial). Used to say something seems like or has the quality of X (e.g., amateurish).
その演奏はまだ学生臭い部分があるが、将来性を感じる。
The performance still has some amateurish parts, but I feel potential.