terrível cheiro

You can use it as a standalone observation or within a sentence. Usually, you will say Que terrível cheiro! (What a terrible smell!). You can also use it with the verb estar to describe a place. For example, Está um terrível cheiro aqui (There is a terrible smell in here). It is very flexible and easy to plug into conversations.

Use it whenever your nose is unhappy. It works at a restaurant if the fish is off. It works at home if the trash needs taking out. You can use it with friends when walking past a construction site. It is a very common, everyday expression for any unpleasant sensory experience.

Avoid using it to describe a person’s perfume, even if you hate it. That would be very rude! Also, do not use it in highly formal culinary reviews. In those cases, use odor desagradável. It is a bit too blunt for a first date or a black-tie gala. Unless, of course, the lobster is actually rotten.

Portuguese speakers are generally very expressive about their senses. We love good food and fresh air. Because of this, we are equally vocal when something smells bad. There is no 'polite' way to ignore a bad smell in a casual setting. It is part of the honest, open communication style found in Brazil and Portugal.

You will often hear cheiro horrível which is even stronger. Some people might just say que carniça if it smells like something died. For a milder version, you can say cheiro ruim. If you want to be more 'proper', you might use mau cheiro. But terrível cheiro hits that perfect sweet spot of being clear and dramatic.