Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say "Stinky" in Spanish: Apestoso, Hediondo, and More
Apestoso · adjective · ah-pehs-TOH-soh
Stinky in Spanish is apestoso/apestosa (the most common everyday word), hediondo (literary/emphatic), maloliente (neutral/formal), or fétido (very strong, clinical). The verb apestar means to stink.
ah-pehs-TOH-soh — four syllables, stress on TOH. Feminine: apestosa (ah-pehs-TOH-sah).
¡Qué apestoso está ese queso! ¿De verdad te lo vas a comer?
That cheese is so stinky! Are you really going to eat it?
Stinky in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for stinky, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| apestoso | stinky | ah-pehs-TOH-soh | Default, widely understood |
| hediondo | stinky | Universal (foul-smelling, literary) | |
| maloliente | stinky | Universal (bad-smelling, formal) | |
| fétido | stinky | Universal (fetid, very strong) |
How Native Speakers Use Apestoso
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Everyday complaint
Tus calcetines están apestosos. ¡Ponlos en la lavadora!
Your socks are stinky. Put them in the washing machine!
Apestoso is the casual, everyday term for something that smells bad.
Using the verb apestar
Esta habitación apesta a cigarrillo. Abre la ventana.
This room stinks of cigarettes. Open the window.
Apestar a (to stink of) is the verb form — followed by the source of the smell.
Formal/neutral register
El vertedero produce gases malolientes que afectan al vecindario.
The landfill produces foul-smelling gases that affect the neighborhood.
Maloliente is more neutral and suitable for news or official reports.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Apestoso
Using apestoso when you mean sick (plague-related)
Incorrect: Está apestoso desde ayer. (intending 'he's been sick')
Correct: Está enfermo desde ayer.
While apestar historically relates to plagues (peste), modern apestoso only means stinky/foul-smelling. For sick, use enfermo. The plague connection is archaic.
Forgetting gender agreement
Incorrect: La leche está apestoso.
Correct: La leche está apestosa.
Apestoso follows standard -o/-a gender agreement. Leche is feminine, so apestosa (with -a) is required.
Lock in Stinky Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Apestoso used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using apestoso in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¡Qué apestoso está ese queso! ¿De verdad te lo vas a comer? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Stinky in Spanish
- How do you say stinky in Spanish?
- Stinky is apestoso/apestosa (casual), hediondo (emphatic/literary), or maloliente (neutral). The verb to stink is apestar: ¡Esto apesta! (This stinks!). For a playful nickname, un apestoso works like calling someone stinky.
- What's the difference between apestoso, hediondo, and fétido?
- Apestoso is everyday casual (stinky socks). Hediondo is stronger and more literary (a reeking dumpster). Fétido is the strongest, often clinical (fetid odor from decomposition). Maloliente is the neutral descriptor.
- How do you say it smells bad in Spanish?
- Huele mal (it smells bad) is the simplest way. Apesta (it stinks) is stronger. Huele a rayos or huele horrible are emphatic expressions meaning it smells terrible.