smells delicious

USAGE SUMMARY

"smells delicious" is a usable and correct phrase in written English.
It is usually used to describe something that has a pleasant smell. For example, "The soup cooking on the stove smells delicious."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Travel

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

34 human-written examples

It smells delicious, too.

Independent

Maggie's hair smells delicious.

The New Yorker

She smells delicious.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

My car, however, smells delicious.

The New York Times - Travel

Even the parking lot smells delicious.

The New York Times

I love that smell!" "Yeah, that pizza smells delicious," the boy's father exclaims.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

26 human-written examples

"But he smelled delicious".

The New Yorker

My kids smelled delicious.

The Guardian

Both smell delicious to the insect.

The New York Times - Science

It should look and smell delicious.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

They smelt delicious, like burned sugar.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "smells delicious" to vividly describe food, perfumes, or natural scents that evoke a positive olfactory experience. It is suitable for expressing immediate sensory enjoyment.

Common error

While "smells delicious" is effective, overuse can diminish its impact. Vary your descriptions with synonyms like "fragrant", "aromatic", or specific scent notes to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "smells delicious" functions as a subject complement, describing the attribute of a subject (e.g., food, perfume) through the verb 'smells'. According to Ludwig, it's a usable and correct phrase for describing pleasant scents.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Lifestyle

30%

Travel

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "smells delicious" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase for conveying a pleasant olfactory experience. Ludwig's analysis, supported by numerous real-world examples, affirms its correctness and widespread applicability. Predominantly found in News & Media, Lifestyle, and Travel contexts, it effectively communicates sensory enjoyment. For alternative expressions, consider phrases like "has a delightful aroma" or "has an enticing smell" to add variety to your writing. Remember to avoid the incorrect form "smells deliciously".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has an enticing smell

Uses "enticing" to convey an attractive and tempting quality to the smell.

wafts with a tempting aroma

Uses "wafts" to describe the movement of the aroma and its tempting nature.

has a delightful aroma

Focuses on the aroma aspect, using a more formal term.

carries a lovely scent

Highlights the loveliness of the scent being carried.

exudes a pleasant scent

Emphasizes the pleasantness and emanation of the scent.

gives off a wonderful fragrance

Highlights the fragrance quality and its emission.

offers a delightful fragrance

Focuses on the offering of the delightful fragrance.

presents an appealing fragrance

Describes the fragrance as something appealing and well-presented.

has an exquisite fragrance

Uses "exquisite" to describe a high degree of pleasantness and refinement.

possesses a heavenly smell

Exaggerates the pleasantness of the smell to a heavenly degree.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "smells delicious"?

You can use alternatives like "has a delightful aroma", "has an enticing smell", or "exudes a pleasant scent" depending on the context.

Is "smells deliciously" grammatically correct?

No, "smells deliciously" is not grammatically correct. "Delicious" is an adjective and appropriately modifies the noun implied by "smells", whereas "deliciously" is an adverb and would incorrectly modify the verb "smells".

How can I use "smells delicious" in a sentence?

You can say, "The freshly baked bread smells delicious", or "The perfume smells delicious on her".

What's the difference between "smells delicious" and "tastes delicious"?

"Smells delicious" refers to the olfactory experience, while "tastes delicious" refers to the gustatory experience. The first describes the scent, and the second describes the flavor.