Writers deploy "malodorous" to immediately evoke sensations of decay and revulsion, using the word to characterize both tangible, grimy environments and metaphorically corrupt situations. In some works it delineates unsanitary, decrepit spaces—from filthy tin cans carelessly scattered on a floor [1] and narrow, grim city streets [2] to dark, poorly maintained quarters that embody neglect [3]. In other contexts, the term amplifies the tone of repugnance associated with moral or procedural decay, as when an eerie experiment bristles with an almost toxic atmosphere [4] or when a desolate undertaking is vividly rendered as ghastly [5]. Thus, the adjective enriches narrative ambience, making both the physical setting and the figurative context palpably stench-ridden.