stink of + smell
Describing a strong smell
Use stink of before the source of an unpleasant smell.
The room stank of damp clothes.
The bin stinks of fish.
Stink of or stink to?
Stink of is the standard expression for having a strong unpleasant smell or showing signs of something negative. Stink to is not a standard combination.
Quick answer
Which expression is correct?
Use stink of to describe a strong smell or a figurative sense of corruption or dishonesty. Do not use stink to as a verb-preposition combination.
The kitchen stinks of smoke.
The deal stinks of corruption.
His clothes stank of petrol.
The deal stinks of corruption.
His clothes stank of petrol.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
stink of + negative quality
Figurative meaning
Stink of can describe something suspicious or morally bad.
The excuse stinks of dishonesty.
stink up + place
Making a place smell bad
Stink up means cause a bad smell in an area.
The chemicals stunk up the whole lab.
stink to high heaven
Strong figurative criticism
This idiom means seem extremely suspicious or offensive.
That story stinks to high heaven.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
stink of
The towel stinks of mildew.
have a strong unpleasant smell of something
stink to
This combination is not standard in modern English.
not an idiomatic verb-preposition pattern
stink up
The old fridge stunk up the kitchen.
fill a place with a bad smell
stink to high heaven
The arrangement stinks to high heaven.
seem extremely suspicious or offensive
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using stink to instead of stink of
Use of after stink when naming the smell or negative quality.
✕ The room stinks to smoke. ✓ The room stinks of smoke.Forgetting the object after stink of
Stink of is followed by the source of the smell or quality.
✕ The bag stinks of. ✓ The bag stinks of chemicals.Confusing smell and cause
Use stink up when something causes a bad smell in a place.
✕ The fish stinks of the kitchen. ✓ The fish stunk up the kitchen.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The basement stinks ___ mould.
2. That explanation stinks ___ corruption.
3. The smoke stunk ___ the apartment.
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Frequently asked questions
Is stink to ever correct?
Not as a normal verb-preposition combination. Standard English uses stink of.
Can stink of be figurative?
Yes. It often describes dishonesty, corruption, or suspicion.
What is the difference between stink of and stink up?
Stink of describes the smell itself, while stink up means make a place smell bad.
Related preposition guides
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