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Smellfungus: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Smellfungus noun. A person who always finds fault and complains about everything.
How to say it
SMEL-fung-gus/ˈsmɛlfʌŋɡəs/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (SMEL).
Smellfungus in a sentence
Every holiday has its smellfungus, grumbling that the sea is too wet.
Don't be a smellfungus; the hotel is lovely and the pool is open.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- grumbler
- fault-finder
- grouch
- curmudgeon
Where smellfungus comes from
Laurence Sterne's 1768 nickname for Tobias Smollett, whose travel book about France and Italy was famously grumpy.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Don't be a _____; the hotel is lovely and the pool is open.
- sarcasm
- malapropism
- smellfungus
Show the answer
smellfungus: Don't be a smellfungus; the hotel is lovely and the pool is open.