Sometimes, we want to describe something that looks, smells, or feels bad. It might be old food in the fridge or trash that hasn’t been taken out. When this happens, we use similes to make our ideas clearer. A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to compare two things. This helps us show just how awful or gross something is.
Writers often use similes to make their stories more fun or easier to picture. Instead of just saying something is “gross,” they say it is like rotten eggs or as slimy as a slug. These word pictures make us think and feel what the writer means. In this article, you will learn some funny and clear similes that help describe disgusting things. You’ll also get a chance to practice using them on your own.
Similes for Disgusting
1. Like rotten eggs
Meaning: Smells really bad
In a Sentence: That trash smelled like rotten eggs. / The old food in the fridge was like rotten eggs.
Other Ways to Say: Stinky / Smelled awful
2. As slimy as a slug
Meaning: Feels wet and gross
In a Sentence: The mold on the fruit was as slimy as a slug. / His hands felt as slimy as a slug after touching the goo.
Other Ways to Say: Wet and sticky / Icky
3. Like a garbage can in summer
Meaning: Smells terrible
In a Sentence: The locker room smelled like a garbage can in summer. / That old sandwich smelled like a garbage can in summer.
Other Ways to Say: Really smelly / Super gross
4. As nasty as a toilet that hasn’t been cleaned
Meaning: Very dirty and gross
In a Sentence: The campsite bathroom was as nasty as a toilet that hasn’t been cleaned. / His sock was as nasty as a dirty toilet.
Other Ways to Say: Filthy / Really dirty
5. Like spoiled milk
Meaning: Smells or tastes really bad
In a Sentence: That drink tasted like spoiled milk. / The smell from the sink was like spoiled milk.
Other Ways to Say: Sour / Disgusting
6. As sticky as old candy under a chair
Meaning: Feels yucky to touch
In a Sentence: The bench was as sticky as old candy under a chair. / My hand felt as sticky as old candy.
Other Ways to Say: Gross to touch / Dirty sticky
7. Like a wet dog
Meaning: Smells musty or dirty
In a Sentence: After the rain, the classroom smelled like a wet dog. / His coat smelled like a wet dog.
Other Ways to Say: Smelled bad / Musty
8. As green as moldy bread
Meaning: Looks bad or sick
In a Sentence: That cheese was as green as moldy bread. / Her leftover lunch looked as green as moldy bread.
Other Ways to Say: Rotten / Gross-looking
9. Like a sock after gym class
Meaning: Smells very bad
In a Sentence: His shoes smelled like a sock after gym class. / That corner of the room smelled like socks after gym class.
Other Ways to Say: Sweaty / Stinky
10. As gross as chewing gum stuck to a sidewalk
Meaning: Something dirty or sticky
In a Sentence: The table was as gross as chewing gum stuck to a sidewalk. / That jelly felt as gross as old gum.
Other Ways to Say: Yuck / Sticky gross
11. Like fish left in the sun
Meaning: Strong bad smell
In a Sentence: The old lunch smelled like fish left in the sun. / That fishy smell was like fish left out.
Other Ways to Say: Rotten fish smell / Strong and bad
12. As yucky as used tissue
Meaning: Dirty and not something you want to touch
In a Sentence: That napkin was as yucky as used tissue. / His hands were as yucky as a dirty tissue.
Other Ways to Say: Dirty / Germy
13. Like stepping in dog poop
Meaning: Something really unpleasant
In a Sentence: Cleaning that mess was like stepping in dog poop. / That project turned out like stepping in dog poop.
Other Ways to Say: Really bad / Super gross
14. As crusty as old ketchup
Meaning: Dry and gross
In a Sentence: The top of the bottle was as crusty as old ketchup. / That bread felt as crusty as old ketchup.
Other Ways to Say: Hard and dry / Not fresh
15. Like dirty bath water
Meaning: Gross and cloudy
In a Sentence: That puddle looked like dirty bath water. / His water bottle was like dirty bath water.
Other Ways to Say: Cloudy / Murky and yuck
16. As soggy as cereal left too long
Meaning: Wet in a bad way
In a Sentence: The sandwich was as soggy as cereal left too long. / My fries were as soggy as old cereal.
Other Ways to Say: Mushy / Not fresh
17. Like a bug in your drink
Meaning: Something that makes you want to gag
In a Sentence: That soup was like a bug in your drink. / The surprise in the cup was like finding a bug in it.
Other Ways to Say: Sickening / Really nasty
18. As gooey as mud in your shoes
Meaning: Feels soft, thick, and gross
In a Sentence: That jelly was as gooey as mud in your shoes. / My snack felt as gooey as thick mud.
Other Ways to Say: Sticky / Thick and yucky
19. Like stepping on a banana peel
Meaning: Feels bad and surprising
In a Sentence: Touching that slime was like stepping on a banana peel. / That weird lunch was like slipping on old fruit.
Other Ways to Say: Gross surprise / Squishy mess
20. As smelly as a skunk
Meaning: Very strong, bad smell
In a Sentence: His lunchbox was as smelly as a skunk. / That spray was as smelly as a skunk.
Other Ways to Say: Awful smell / Really stinks
21. Like soggy bread in a sink
Meaning: Wet and gross
In a Sentence: That food felt like soggy bread in a sink. / My paper got as wet and soggy as bread in water.
Other Ways to Say: Mushy / Yucky wet
22. As gross as picking your nose
Meaning: Something very nasty to see or think about
In a Sentence: That picture was as gross as picking your nose. / Watching that scene was as bad as nose-picking.
Other Ways to Say: Nasty / Icky
23. Like cough syrup spilled on a counter
Meaning: Sticky and smells weird
In a Sentence: That jelly smelled like cough syrup on a counter. / The slime looked like spilled medicine.
Other Ways to Say: Weird and sticky / Smelled strange
24. As chunky as bad yogurt
Meaning: Thick and gross-looking
In a Sentence: The smoothie was as chunky as bad yogurt. / The sauce looked as chunky as spoiled yogurt.
Other Ways to Say: Lumpy / Not smooth
25. Like a hair in your food
Meaning: Something that ruins your appetite
In a Sentence: Finding that bug was like a hair in your food. / That gum surprise was like finding hair on a plate.
Other Ways to Say: Gag-worthy / Makes you lose appetite
26. As mushy as overcooked peas
Meaning: Too soft and not tasty
In a Sentence: The cake was as mushy as overcooked peas. / That pasta was mushy and gross.
Other Ways to Say: Too soft / Yucky texture
27. Like a wet sponge dropped on the floor
Meaning: Gross and dirty
In a Sentence: That towel felt like a wet sponge dropped on the floor. / His toy was as gross as a dirty wet sponge.
Other Ways to Say: Damp and dirty / Messy and gross
28. As foul as dirty socks under a bed
Meaning: Strong and bad smell
In a Sentence: That gym bag was as foul as dirty socks under a bed. / The closet smelled as foul as old socks.
Other Ways to Say: Stinky / Terrible odor
Exercise to Practice
- The leftovers in the fridge smelled just like _________.
- His gym shoes were as smelly as _________.
- I touched the jelly, and it felt as slimy as _________.
- That sandwich was so soggy, it reminded me of _________.
- The old sink water looked like _________.
- Her lunchbox had a smell as strong as _________.
- That ketchup bottle was as crusty as _________.
- After playing in the mud, his hands felt as gooey as _________.
- I opened the trash can, and it hit me like _________.
- The rotten banana on the floor looked as gross as _________.
Answer Key
- rotten eggs
- a sock after gym class
- a slug
- cereal left too long
- dirty bath water
- a skunk
- old ketchup
- mud in your shoes
- stepping in dog poop
- chewing gum stuck to a sidewalk
Conclusion
Similes help us show how bad or gross something really is. Instead of saying, “It smells,” we can say, “It smells like rotten eggs.” This makes it easier for others to understand what we mean.
When we use funny or clear similes, our writing becomes more interesting. These similes can make a reader laugh or make them say, “I know what that’s like!” Try using some of these next time you want to describe something disgusting.