apestar
/apesˈtaɾ/
To say stink in Spanish, use apestar. It means to have a strong bad smell. If unsure, use apestar. It is also spelled jeder. Wiktionary also lists heder and cantar.
Meaning: have a strong bad smell (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| apestar | /apesˈtaɾ/ | |
| heder | /eˈdeɾ/ | |
| cantar | /kanˈtaɾ/ | |
| oler mal | /oleɾ mal/ (from spelling rules) | |
| pudir | /puˈdiɾ/ | |
| atufar | /atuˈfaɾ/ | |
| carcavinar | /kaɾkabinaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| jeder | /xeˈdeɾ/ | alternative form |
apestar is the most common and versatile verb for to stink, used in both formal and informal speech.
Which one should you use?
oler mal simply means to smell bad and sounds more neutral, while apestar implies a much stronger, offensive odor. heder is a literary or formal word that is less common in everyday speech. jeder is an alternative spelling of heder.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
heder is literary or formal.
How do you pronounce it?
apestar is pronounced /apesˈtaɾ/, with the stress on the last syllable and a tapped r at the end.
Did you know?
- In some slang contexts, the verb cantar is used to mean that something stinks. While its primary meaning is 'to sing', it can be used to describe a smell that is obvious or gives something away.
- The verb apestar is built from the prefix 'a-' and the word 'peste', which refers to a plague or pestilence.
- The formal verb heder is a distant relative of the English word 'fetid', which also describes a strong, unpleasant smell.
Examples in context
- Esos zapatos hieden mucho.Those shoes stink a lot.hieden is the present tense they form of the literary verb, used here for shoes that smell bad.
- ¡Esa basura apesta!That trash stinks!
- ¡Qué quesos más hediondos!What stinky cheeses!
- Después de hacer ejercicio, mi ropa tiene una peste horrible.After exercising, my clothes have a terrible stench.
- Esa basura va a apestar pronto.That trash is going to stink soon.
- No dejes que la comida empiece a apestar.Don't let the food start to stink.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stink” translations and entries apestar, heder, cantar, pudir, atufar, jeder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apestar, cantar, heder, mal, oler, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
