health
February 4, 2026
Things reek, stink and pong – but why are there no verbs for describing a delightful odour?
We don’t have a single verb to express smelling something nice. Welsh and Croatian, by contrast, are never caught short when something fragrant gets right up your nose
TL;DR
- English lacks a specific verb for smelling something pleasant, unlike Welsh ('clywed') and Croatian ('mirišiti').
- Smell is deeply connected to memory and emotion, capable of transporting individuals to specific moments and places.
- The author recalls a vivid childhood memory of a bike shop triggered by its distinct smell.
- Welsh 'clywed' can mean to feel or sense, encompassing smell, sound, touch, and taste, but not sight.
- Croatian has contrasting verbs 'mirišiti' (pleasant smell) and 'smrditi' (unpleasant smell), with an idiom 'ni miriši ni smrdi' for something neutral.
- Scents like vanilla and lavender can elicit strong emotional responses and memories, even for prisoners and those who have lost their sense of smell.
- Listeners reported still recalling specific smells years after losing their physical sense of smell.
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