it smells terrible vs it smells terribly

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'It smells terrible' is the more common, natural way to express that something has a bad odor. On the other hand, 'it smells terribly' is less common. This phrase is typically used in a more formal or literary context to emphasize the intensity of the bad smell.

Explained by Jennifer
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: March 06, 2025 • 5793 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe something with a bad odor.

"it smells terrible"

This phrase is used to express that something has a very unpleasant smell.

Examples:

The garbage can smells terrible.
The bathroom smells terrible after someone forgot to flush.
The old cheese smells terrible.
The rotten eggs smell terrible.
The sewer smells terrible after the rain.

Show examples from the web [+]

Mar 27, 2015 ... It smells terrible. It smells like a cesspool. Okay, why did I use that last one for both questions? Because everyone knows a cesspool smells ...
I recently had a bathroom textured after removing wallpaper it smells terrible like puke. Three weeks still smells. The smell was present as soon ...
It smells terrible starting at about 18 hours and the second batch with the same bones smells worse. It tastes as much like shit as it smells untill I ...
Mar 3, 2015 ... It “smells terrible.” Cuomo says, throwing it to longtime Clinton toady Richard Socarides, who then says the issue is whether Hillary Clinton ...

Alternatives:

It stinks.
It reeks.
It has a foul odor.
It has a putrid smell.
It has a noxious scent.

This phrase is correct but less common in everyday language. It is used to emphasize the intensity of a bad smell in a more formal or literary context.

"it smells terribly"

This phrase is used to emphasize the strong unpleasant smell of something in a more formal or literary context.

Examples:

The decaying fish in the market smells terribly.
The sewage plant smells terribly on hot days.
The chemical spill made the air smell terribly.
The rotting fruit in the trash smells terribly.
The stagnant water in the pond smells terribly.

Show examples from the web [+]

I nearly cry because I need to go and I can't because it smells terribly and they closed the bathroom door, just open the door so the smell goes away. IT'S DIET.
Jul 23, 2015 ... I kept asafoetida in my drawer for two days (packed in three bags) and now it smells terribly as well as the content of the drawer (papers, plastic ...
It smells terribly toxic, and my dog was untouchable for 2 ... By Origami99 on August 30, 2014. This stuff may work but the smell is noxious. It smells terribly toxic, ...
Myth: When you don't like the smell of an oil it means your body needs that oil. Fact: Our bodies generally tell us when we need something or should stay away ...

Alternatives:

It smells awful.
It smells dreadful.
It smells horrendous.
It smells repulsive.
It smells revolting.

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it smells terrible vs it smells terribly

"it smells terrible"

"it smells terribly"

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