βρομάω

Greek

Alternative forms

• βρομώ (vromó)
• βρωμάω (vromáo), βρωμώ (vromó) (see notes)

Etymology

βρομώ (vromó) + -άω (-áo). From Ancient Greek βρομῶ (bromô), contracted form of βρομέω (broméō, “to make loud noise”), from βρόμος (brómos, “loud noise”), from βρέμω (brémō, “to crash, to bang”). Related to βρόμη (vrómi, “oats”). Modern sense acquired from association of certain loud noises with a bad smell following. Compare Irish English bang (“strong smell”). See also Ancient Greek βρῶμος (brômos, “stink, stench”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɾoˈma.o/
• Hyphenation: βρο‧μά‧ω

Verb

βρομάω • (vromáo) / βρομώ (past βρόμησα, passive —)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to smell (of), stink (of), reek (of) (to give off a bad odour)

   Τα πόδια σου βρομάνε.

   Ta pódia sou vrománe.

   Your feet smell.

   Επειδή καπνίζει συνεχώς, τα ρούχα του βρομάνε τσιγαρίλα.

   Epeidí kapnízei synechós, ta roúcha tou vrománe tsigaríla.

   Since he smokes constantly, his clothes reek of cigarettes.

2. (intransitive, colloquial) to stink, be fishy (give an impression of dishonesty or untruth)

   Η ιστορία του βρομάει.

   I istoría tou vromáei.

   His story is fishy / Something's fishy about his story.

Usage notes

• The forms with omega (βρω-) are also widely found. This is considered an incorrect form. It resulted from the religious phrase σκωλήκων βρῶμα καὶ δυσωδία (skōlḗkōn brôma kaì dusōdía, “food of the worms and bad smell”) which is used in the burial service. The etymologically unrelated word βρῶμα (brôma) (derived from βιβρώσκω (bibrṓskō, “to eat”)) was misinterpreted as 'bad smell' instead of 'food' and the spelling with omega stuck.

Conjugation

βρομάω / βρομώ   (active forms only)

	Active voice ➤
Indicative mood ➤	Imperfective aspect ➤	Perfective aspect ➤
Non-past tenses ➤	Present ➤	Dependent ➤
1 sg	βρομάω, βρομώ	βρομήσω
2 sg	βρομάς	βρομήσεις
3 sg	βρομάει, βρομά	βρομήσει
1 pl	βρομάμε, βρομούμε	βρομήσουμε, [‑ομε]
2 pl	βρομάτε	βρομήσετε
3 pl	βρομάνε, βρομάν, βρομούν(ε)	βρομήσουν(ε)
Past tenses ➤	Imperfect ➤	Simple past ➤
1 sg	βρομούσα, βρόμαγα	βρόμησα
2 sg	βρομούσες, βρόμαγες	βρόμησες
3 sg	βρομούσε, βρόμαγε	βρόμησε
1 pl	βρομούσαμε, βρομάγαμε	βρομήσαμε
2 pl	βρομούσατε, βρομάγατε	βρομήσατε
3 pl	βρομούσαν(ε), βρόμαγαν, (βρομάγανε)	βρόμησαν, βρομήσαν(ε)
Future tenses ➤	Continuous ➤	Simple ➤
1 sg	θα βρομάω, θα βρομώ ➤	θα βρομήσω ➤
2,3 sg, 1,2,3 pl	θα βρομάς, …	θα βρομήσεις, …
	Perfect aspect ➤
Present perfect ➤	έχω, έχεις, … βρομήσει
Past perfect ➤	είχα, είχες, … βρομήσει
Future perfect ➤	θα έχω, θα έχεις, … βρομήσει
Subjunctive mood ➤	Formed using present, dependent (for simple past) or present perfect from above with a particle (να, ας).
Imperative mood ➤	Imperfective aspect	Perfective aspect
2 sg	βρόμα, βρόμαγε	βρόμησε, βρόμα
2 pl	βρομάτε	βρομήστε
Other forms
Active present participle ➤	βρομώντας ➤
Active perfect participle ➤	έχοντας βρομήσει ➤
Passive perfect participle ➤	1 ➤
Nonfinite form ➤	βρομήσει
Notes     Appendix:Greek verbs	1. The participle βρομισμένος (vromisménos), from βρομίζω (vromízo).  • (…) optional or informal.   […] rare.   {…} learned, archaic.  • Multiple forms are shown in order of reducing frequency.  • Periphrastic imperative forms may be produced using the subjunctive.

Synonyms

• μυρίζω (myrízo, “to smell”)
• ευωδιάζω (evodiázo, “to smell”)

Antonyms

• μοσχοβολώ (moschovoló, “to smell nice, to smell sweet”)

Related terms

• βρομιά f (vromiá, “dirt”)
• βρομιάρης (vromiáris, “dirty, filthy”)
• βρομίζω (vromízo, “to make dirty”)
• βρόμικος (vrómikos, “dirty, filthy”)
• βρόμιο n (vrómio, “bromine”)
• ξεβρομίζω (xevromízo, “to clean up, to remove dirt”)
• (folk etymologically): βρόμη f (vrómi, “oats”)