2smell verb
smells; smelled or British smelt 
/ˈsmɛlt/; smell·ing 1 a [+ obj] : to use your nose to sense smells
▪ She leaned over and smelled the flowers. ▪ She smelled [=sniffed] the milk to see if it was sour.
b : to be able to use your nose to sense smells [no obj] ▪ I have a cold right now so I can't smell. [+ obj] ▪ I can't smell anything because I'm so stuffed up.
c not used in progressive tenses [+ obj] : to notice something because of its smell
▪ I could smell dinner cooking. ▪ I think I smell gas. 2 a [linking verb] : to have a particular smell
▪ This car smells like mold. ▪ That soup smells good. — sometimes + of ▪ He smelled of alcohol.
b not used in progressive tenses [no obj] : to have a bad smell
▪ Whew, what smells? ▪ These sneakers smell. [=stink] 3 a [+ obj] : to sense or detect (something) : to think that (something) is going to happen
▪ Can't you smell the profits? ▪ As the end of the game got closer, our team began to smell victory. [=began to sense/feel that victory was very near] ▪ I smell trouble. [=I think there's going to be trouble]
b [no obj] : to appear or seem to have a certain quality
▪ Something doesn't smell [=seem] right about this deal.
▪ She leaned over and smelled the flowers. ▪ She smelled [=sniffed] the milk to see if it was sour.
b : to be able to use your nose to sense smells [no obj] ▪ I have a cold right now so I can't smell. [+ obj] ▪ I can't smell anything because I'm so stuffed up.
c not used in progressive tenses [+ obj] : to notice something because of its smell
▪ I could smell dinner cooking. ▪ I think I smell gas.
▪ This car smells like mold. ▪ That soup smells good. — sometimes + of ▪ He smelled of alcohol.
b not used in progressive tenses [no obj] : to have a bad smell
▪ Whew, what smells? ▪ These sneakers smell. [=stink]
▪ Can't you smell the profits? ▪ As the end of the game got closer, our team began to smell victory. [=began to sense/feel that victory was very near] ▪ I smell trouble. [=I think there's going to be trouble]
b [no obj] : to appear or seem to have a certain quality
▪ Something doesn't smell [=seem] right about this deal.
come out/up smelling like a rose — see 2rose
smell a rat — see 1rat
smell out [phrasal verb]
smell (something) out or smell out (something) : to find (something) by smelling it
▪ Police have trained the dogs to smell out [=sniff out] drugs.
▪ Police have trained the dogs to smell out [=sniff out] drugs.
(stop and) smell the roses — see 2rose
