puzzare
/putˈt͡sa.re/
To stink in Italian is puzzare.
puzzare is used to describe the action of having a strong, bad smell. This applies to both literal unpleasant odors and figurative situations where something seems suspicious, much like the English use of the word. For an informal way to say one stinks badly or reeks, you can use puzzare di brutto. Additionally, if something is truly disgusting or revolting, the informal phrase fare schifo can be used.
Meaning: have a strong bad smell (verb)
Which one should you use?
While puzzare is the verb for the action of smelling bad, puzza is the most common noun used to refer to the smell itself. When you want to describe a foul odor in a more formal or literary way, use the noun fetore.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The noun fetore is a formal or literary way to describe a strong, foul odor. In contrast, puzza is the common, everyday noun. The expression puzzare di brutto is considered informal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the third-person singular present tense, the form is puzza (he/she/it stinks). For the third-person plural present tense, the form is puzzano (they stink).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /putˈtsa.re/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the phrase puzza di bruciato literally means 'it smells of burning', but it is used idiomatically to say that something feels fishy or suspicious.
- The noun fetore comes from the Latin 'foetor', which is also the ancestor of the English word 'fetid'.
- An Italian might use the expression puzzare di marcio to describe someone who is behaving corruptly or suspiciously, literally meaning 'to stink of rot'.
Examples in context
- Il formaggio ha cominciato a puzzare.The cheese started to stink.
- Il pesce puzza di brutto.The fish stinks badly.
- Questo cibo fa schifo, puzza terribilmente.This food is disgusting, it stinks terribly.
- Quella discarica è davvero puzzolente.That landfill is really smelly.
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are in the kitchen.
- MatteoChiara, questo latte sembra puzzare.Chiara, this milk seems to stink.
- ChiaraHai ragione, è scaduto ieri.You are right, it expired yesterday.
- MatteoDove posso buttare tutto?Where can I throw it all away?
- ChiaraMettilo nel cestino, per favore.Put it in the bin, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stink” translations and entries puzzare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
