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Change log entry 67444
Processed by: richwarm (2019-06-03 22:39:02 UTC)
Comment: << review queue entry 64036 - submitted by 'anluoridge' >>
The entire house reeked for a long time. 整座房子长时间一直有股难闻的味道。 via Collins
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Editor: You are submitting for an entry for the Chinese term 發臭, but your quote (from Collins) doesn't actually include the word.

I looked at various examples of 发臭 usage and I feel that "smelly" or "smell bad" would be a more suitable definition than "reek" in most cases.
E.g. ... 品質不佳很容易發臭,...
which was translated as "[Cowhide glue is an animal product,] and can smell bad if it is of poor quality."

One problem with "reek" is that it typically occurs in the form "to reek of ..."
- "reek of alcohol"
- "reek of horse manure"
And 发臭 doesn't seem to be typically used in a corresponding Chinese construction.

Another issue is that "reek" is often used in cases that perhaps wouldn't be described as 发臭.
- ‘The men wore shiny suits and chunky pinky rings and reeked of pomade and cologne.’
- ‘The nurse's office smelled - or rather, reeked - strongly of iodine and disinfectant.’
- ‘I dragged my suitcase through the spotless, empty street, which reeked of bleach.’
Diff:
# 發臭 发臭 [fa1 chou4] /reek/
+ 發臭 发臭 [fa1 chou4] /smelly/to smell bad/
By MDBG 2025
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