stink (redirected from stunk)

kick up a fuss/row/stink

to complain loudly in order to show that you are very annoyed about something. Our food was cold so my father kicked up a fuss and refused to pay the service charge.

See also: fuss, kick, row

kick up a stink (British, informal, American, informal)

to complain angrily about something that you are not satisfied with. He kicked up a stink at the restaurant because the meal was late.

See also: kick

smell/stink to high heaven

to smell very bad. That chicken farm stinks to high heaven.

See also: heaven, high, smell

---

kick up a stink

to cause an argument about something that seems wrong. The consumer group kicked up a stink about the defective tires on SUVs.

See also: kick

raise a stink

to complain angrily about something. Parents really should raise a stink about violence on children's TV shows.

See also: raise

stink up something

1. to make a place smell unpleasant. Take the garbage out before it stinks up the entire house.

2. to do something very badly. Every time I begin a new job, I worry that I'm gonna stink it up, you know?

Usage notes: sometimes used to suggest that an experience causes you to react as you would to a bad smell: The Dolphins stunk up Rich Stadium by losing 40—0.Added def. 2 and usage note--SL, 2/03