Irregular verb
The verb to stink
stink → stank → stunk
B2Meaning: to smell very bad; to be very bad (informal) · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they stink·he/she/it stinks - Past Simple:
stank(or stunk, US) - Past participle:
stunk - -ing form:
stinking
Conjugation of the verb to stink
Present Simple
| I | stink |
| You | stink |
| He / She / It | stinks |
| We | stink |
| You (pl.) | stink |
| They | stink |
Past Simple
| I | stank |
| You | stank |
| He / She / It | stank |
| We | stank |
| You (pl.) | stank |
| They | stank |
All the forms of the verb to stink
Present Simple
Full pagestink / stinks
“This cheese stinks.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are stinking
“I am stinking of garlic right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagestank
“The bin stank.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were stinking
“I was stinking of garlic when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has stunk
“I have already stunk of garlic.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad stunk
“She had already stunk of garlic when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill stink
“I will stink of garlic tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to stink
“I'm going to stink of garlic this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould stink
“I would stink of garlic if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to stink
1. Smelling very bad
- It stinks!
2. Being very bad (figurative)
Informal: this stinks means this is very bad.
- This deal stinks.
A common mistake
1. A stinker = something very bad
A stinker (informal) is something very bad or very difficult (The maths test was a stinker), or an unpleasant person.
What's next?
You can conjugate to stink. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of stink?+
Stank (UK, and classic US) or stunk (also accepted in the US). The past participle is stunk. Same pattern as drink → drank → drunk.
What is the difference between stink and smell bad?+
Smell bad is neutral. Stink is much stronger and negative. Your feet smell (neutral). Your feet stink! (strong).
What does this stinks mean?+
This stinks! (informal, spoken) means this is terrible or very unfair. The whole thing stinks can also mean it seems dishonest.
What is the difference between stinky and smelly?+
Both describe a bad smell. Smelly is the general word. Stinky is informal and stronger. Smelly socks. Stinky cheese.
Is it stank or stinked?+
Stink is irregular. It follows the i → a → u pattern: stink / stank / stunk, like drink / drank / drunk. Never stinked.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/stink
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.