Usage Note
Puanteur is a strong, expressive word for a repulsive odour — far more vivid than odeur or mauvaise odeur. It derives from puer (to stink), which is itself a useful related verb. The adjective puant can also describe an insufferably arrogant person in colloquial French — quel puant! meaning 'what an insufferable jerk!'
Examples
"La puanteur des ordures était insupportable."
Natural Translation
The stench of the rubbish was unbearable.
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