臭

Physical: ranges from a neutral "odor" or "scent" to "pungent" and "malodorous."

Metaphorical: denotes notoriety, disgrace, infamy, or social repulsion.

Functions as a noun (the smell), an adjective (stinking/malodorous), or a verb (to emit a smell).

In physical contexts, 臭 is typically used for offensive or overbearing smells in contrast to 香 (fragrant). As a verb, it identifies the source of the emission rather than the act of smelling, which is 嗅.

Tang-period reading: chiòu; Fanqie: 尺救 許救.

Determine if the context is physical or social. For physical scents, evaluate whether "stink" is too aggressive for the tone of the passage or if "odor" is too neutral to capture the likely negative connotation.