Rank vs. Smelly: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 25, 2023
"Rank" can refer to a strong, offensive odor or a position in a hierarchy, while "smelly" generally denotes having a noticeable and usually unpleasant odor. They are related in describing odors, but "rank" has varied meanings.
Key Differences
"Rank" and "smelly" are both adjectives describing something with an unpleasant odor. However, "rank" possesses multiple meanings and can denote the relative position or standing in a systematic order or hierarchy. It can reflect status or classification within a structured group, or order. When used to describe smell, "rank" implies a stronger, more pungent odor, often more offensive, indicative of corruption or decay. The use of "rank" to convey malodor is typically more formal and less common than its use to indicate positioning or status within a structure or system.
"Smelly," on the other hand, is used in everyday language specifically to describe things that emit an unpleasant or foul odor. It is a more common and colloquial term, compared to when "rank" is used to describe a smell. It does not carry the additional meanings that "rank" does, and its application is straightforward, implying the presence of a bad smell, without further nuances related to hierarchy or arrangement. "Smelly" is often used to describe things like garbage, unwashed clothes, or spoiled food, indicating the undesirable nature of the smell.
The word "rank," owing to its multiple meanings, can be found in various contexts, ranging from military to academic. In military contexts, "rank" refers to the level of authority and responsibility held, while in academic environments, it may denote the relative position of an institution or individual in comparison to others. In these instances, "rank" does not refer to any form of smell but is a determinant of positioning or standing, forming the backbone of structured systems.
Conversely, "smelly" remains a descriptor for unpleasant odors, rendering it less versatile than "rank." It is universally understood to depict objects, places, or entities emitting disagreeable scents, with its application largely remaining within the realm of olfactory experiences. Its specificity and straightforwardness make "smelly" a widely recognized term for anything odorous and unpleasant.
In essence, while both "rank" and "smelly" can describe unpleasant odors, "rank" has diverse meanings and applications, and "smelly" is a straightforward descriptor for things that have a bad smell. The versatility of "rank" in describing hierarchical positions or statuses makes it a multifaceted term, while "smelly" remains anchored in olfactory unpleasantness.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Strong, offensive odor or a position in a hierarchy.
Having a noticeable and usually unpleasant odor.
Usage
Formal and versatile.
Informal and specific.
Context
Military, academic, and descriptive of odors.
Primarily descriptive of odors.
Implied Intensity
Can imply a stronger, more offensive odor.
Implies the presence of a bad smell.
Additional Meanings
Yes, relating to hierarchical positioning.
No, solely used to describe unpleasant odors.
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Rank and Smelly Definitions
Rank
Having a strong, offensive smell.
The rank odor of the garbage was unbearable.
Smelly
Emitting a strong or unpleasant odor.
The smelly socks were tossed into the laundry basket.
Rank
A line or row of people or things.
The soldiers stood in rank awaiting the command.
Smelly
Characterized by a disagreeable odor.
The smelly shoes were left outside the door.
Rank
A relative position in a society.
Smelly
Detectable as having an unpleasant odor.
The smelly garbage needs to be taken out immediately.
Rank
An official position or grade
The rank of sergeant.
Smelly
Having a noticeable and offensive smell.
Avoid the smelly trash cans by the street.
Rank
A relative position or degree of value in a graded group.
Smelly
Indicative of a foul or unpleasant scent.
We need to clean the smelly refrigerator.
Rank
High or eminent station or position
Persons of rank.
Smelly
Having a noticeable, usually unpleasant or offensive odor.
Rank
A row, line, series, or range.
Smelly
Having a bad smell.
She was hesitant to remove her shoes, as her socks were rather smelly.
Rank
A line of soldiers, vehicles, or equipment standing side by side in close order.
Smelly
(figuratively) Having a quality that arouses suspicion.
The detective read the documents and thought, "Something sure is smelly about this case."
Rank
Ranks The armed forces.
Smelly
Having signs that suggest a design problem; having a code smell.
That smelly code needs to be refactored.
Rank
Ranks Personnel, especially enlisted military personnel.
Smelly
A Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifle or one of its derivatives.
Rank
Ranks A body of people classed together; numbers
Joined the ranks of the unemployed.
Smelly
Offensively malodorous;
A putrid smell
Rank
(Games) Any of the rows of squares running crosswise to the files on a playing board in chess or checkers.
Rank
To place in a row or rows.
Rank
To give a particular order or position to; classify.
Rank
To outrank or take precedence over.
Rank
To hold a particular rank
Ranked first in the class.
Rank
To form or stand in a row or rows.
Rank
To complain.
Rank
To engage in carping criticism. Often used with on
Stop ranking on me all the time.
Rank
Growing profusely or with excessive vigor
Rank vegetation.
Rank
Yielding a profuse, often excessive crop; highly fertile
Rank earth.
Rank
Strong and offensive in odor or flavor
Rank gym clothes.
Rank
Absolute; complete
A rank amateur.
Rank treachery.
Rank
Strong of its kind or in character; unmitigated; virulent; thorough; utter (used of negative things).
Rank treason
Rank nonsense
Rank
Strong in growth; growing with vigour or rapidity, hence, coarse or gross.
Rank grass
Rank weeds
Rank
Suffering from overgrowth or hypertrophy; plethoric.
Rank
Causing strong growth; producing luxuriantly; rich and fertile.
Rank land
Rank
Strong to the senses; offensive; noisome.
Rank
Having a very strong and bad taste or odor.
Your gym clothes are rank, bro – when'd you last wash 'em?
Rank
Complete, used as an intensifier (usually negative, referring to incompetence).
I am a rank amateur as a wordsmith.
Rank
(informal) Gross, disgusting.
Rank
(obsolete) Strong; powerful; capable of acting or being used with great effect; energetic; vigorous; headstrong.
Rank
(obsolete) lustful; lascivious
Rank
(obsolete) Quickly, eagerly, impetuously.
Rank
A row of people or things organized in a grid pattern, often soldiers.
The front rank kneeled to reload while the second rank fired over their heads.
Rank
(chess) One of the eight horizontal lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a number).
Rank
(music) In a pipe organ, a set of pipes of a certain quality for which each pipe corresponds to one key or pedal.
Rank
One's position in a list sorted by a shared property such as physical location, population, or quality.
Based on your test scores, you have a rank of 23.
The fancy hotel was of the first rank.
Rank
The level of one's position in a class-based society.
Rank
(typically in the plural) A category of people, such as those who share an occupation or belong to an organisation.
A membership drawn from the ranks of wealthy European businessmen
Rank
A hierarchical level in an organization such as the military.
Private First Class (PFC) is the second-lowest rank in the Marines.
He rose up through the ranks of the company, from mailroom clerk to CEO.
Rank
(taxonomy) A level in a scientific taxonomy system.
Phylum is the taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class.
Rank
(mathematics) The dimensionality of an array (computing) or tensor.
Rank
(linear algebra) The maximal number of linearly independent columns (or rows) of a matrix.
Rank
(algebra) The maximum quantity of D-linearly independent elements of a module (over an integral domain D).
Rank
(mathematics) The size of any basis of a given matroid.
Rank
To place abreast, or in a line.
Rank
To have a ranking.
Their defense ranked third in the league.
Rank
To assign a suitable place in a class or order; to classify.
Rank
(US) To take rank of; to outrank.
Rank
Luxuriant in growth; of vigorous growth; exuberant; grown to immoderate height; as, rank grass; rank weeds.
And, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
Rank
Raised to a high degree; violent; extreme; gross; utter; as, rank heresy.
Rank
Causing vigorous growth; producing luxuriantly; very rich and fertile; as, rank land.
Rank
Strong-scented; rancid; musty; as, oil of a rank smell; rank-smelling rue.
Rank
Strong to the taste.
Rank
Inflamed with venereal appetite.
Rank
Rankly; stoutly; violently.
That rides so rank and bends his lance so fell.
Rank
A row or line; a range; an order; a tier; as, a rank of osiers.
Many a mountain nighRising in lofty ranks, and loftier still.
Rank
A line of soldiers ranged side by side; - opposed to file. See 1st File, 1 (a).
Fierce, fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,In ranks and squadrons and right form of war.
Rank
Grade of official standing, as in the army, navy, or nobility; as, the rank of general; the rank of admiral.
Rank
An aggregate of individuals classed together; a permanent social class; an order; a division; as, ranks and orders of men; the highest and the lowest ranks of men, or of other intelligent beings.
Rank
Degree of dignity, eminence, or excellence; position in civil or social life; station; degree; grade; as, a writer of the first rank; a lawyer of high rank.
These all are virtues of a meaner rank.
Rank
Elevated grade or standing; high degree; high social position; distinction; eminence; as, a man of rank.
Rank
To place abreast, or in a line.
Rank
To range in a particular class, order, or division; to class; also, to dispose methodically; to place in suitable classes or order; to classify.
Ranking all things under general and special heads.
Poets were ranked in the class of philosophers.
Heresy is ranked with idolatry and witchcraft.
Rank
To take rank of; to outrank.
Rank
To be ranged; to be set or disposed, as in a particular degree, class, order, or division.
Let that one article rank with the rest.
Rank
To have a certain grade or degree of elevation in the orders of civil or military life; to have a certain degree of esteem or consideration; as, he ranks with the first class of poets; he ranks high in public estimation.
Rank
A row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another;
The entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen
Rank
Relative status;
His salary was determined by his rank and seniority
Rank
The ordinary members of an organization (such as the enlisted soldiers of an army);
The strike was supported by the union rank and file
He rose from the ranks to become a colonel
Rank
Position in a social hierarchy;
The British are more aware of social status than Americans are
Rank
The body of members of an organization or group;
They polled their membership
They found dissension in their own ranks
He joined the ranks of the unemployed
Rank
Take or have a position relative to others;
This painting ranks among the best in the Western World
Rank
Assign a rank or rating to;
How would you rank these students?
The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide
Rank
Take precedence or surpass others in rank
Rank
Very fertile; producing profuse growth;
Rank earth
Rank
Very offensive in smell or taste;
A rank cigar
Rank
Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible;
A crying shame
An egregious lie
Flagrant violation of human rights
A glaring error
Gross ineptitude
Gross injustice
Rank treachery
Rank
Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers;
Absolute freedom
An absolute dimwit
A downright lie
Out-and-out mayhem
An out-and-out lie
A rank outsider
Many right-down vices
Got the job through sheer persistence
Sheer stupidity
Rank
Growing profusely;
Rank jungle vegetation
Rank
A position in a hierarchy or scale.
He achieved the rank of captain in the military.
Rank
Classifying according to various criteria.
The university holds a high rank globally.
Rank
Complete; absolute (used for emphasis).
It was rank stupidity to challenge the decision.
FAQs
Can rank refer to something other than smell?
Yes, rank has multiple meanings including a position in a hierarchy.
Is smelly always negative?
Generally, smelly denotes a negative, unpleasant odor.
Can something be smelly but not rank?
Yes, as rank often implies a stronger, more offensive odor.
Can rank also mean absolute or complete?
Yes, rank can be used for emphasis to mean complete or absolute, e.g., rank stupidity.
Is rank more formal than smelly when describing odor?
Yes, rank is generally more formal and less common than smelly in this context.
Can smelly describe good smells?
Typically, smelly is used to describe unpleasant odors.
Does rank always imply a bad smell?
When used to describe odor, rank typically implies a strong, offensive smell.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
