scent

Compared meaning: a pleasant smell (noun).

比较义项：好闻的气味（名词）。

• scent 本词

  Scent is the everyday, neutral word for a smell, pleasant or distinctive; it can be light or strong and describes almost anything, from food to flowers to a person's cologne.

  scent是最普通、中性的表达好闻气味的词，可浓可淡，几乎可用于任何气味，从食物到花香再到一个人身上的古龙水味都可以。

  A faint scent of lavender lingered on her scarf long after the walk.

  散步很久之后，她的围巾上仍残留着一丝淡淡的薰衣草香味。

• aroma

  Aroma is used almost only for the pleasant smell of food or drink, especially something cooking or brewing; it strongly suggests taste and appetite, not flowers or perfume.

  aroma几乎只用来形容食物或饮品散发出的好闻气味，尤其是正在烹饪或冲泡的东西，强烈让人联想到味道和食欲，而不是花香或香水。

  The aroma of sizzling garlic drew everyone straight into the kitchen.

  大蒜煎炒时散发出的香气把每个人都直接吸引进了厨房。

• perfume

  Perfume usually names the smell of a scented product worn on the skin, or a strong, sweet smell reminiscent of one; it is less used for food.

  perfume通常指涂抹在皮肤上的香水制品散发出的气味，或让人联想到香水般浓郁、甜美的气味，较少用于形容食物的气味。

  The perfume of gardenias was so strong it gave her a headache.

  栀子花浓郁的香气太强烈了，让她头疼。

• fragrance

  Fragrance is a more formal, often literary word for a sweet, pleasant smell, typically of flowers or cosmetic products; it is common in advertising and writing, not casual speech.

  fragrance是更正式、偏文学化的词，用来形容甜美、好闻的气味，通常指花香或化妆品的香气，常见于广告和书面语中，而非日常口语。

  This shampoo has a light fragrance of green apple and mint.

  这款洗发水带着淡淡的青苹果和薄荷香味。

Scent, aroma, perfume, and fragrance all mean a pleasant smell. Scent is the neutral, everyday word for almost any smell. Aroma is used almost only for the smell of food or drink. Perfume and fragrance are more formal, describing flowers or perfume-like smells.

这四个词都表示好闻的气味，但语域和搭配有别：aroma几乎只用于食物或饮品散发的香气；perfume和fragrance多指花香或香水般浓郁、偏正式的气味；scent则是最中性、最常用的词，气味或浓或淡都可以用。这里不比较scent作「追踪用的气味踪迹」的意思，也不比较perfume作「香水」这一具体商品的意思。

Compared meaning: the sense of smell (noun).

比较义项：嗅觉（名词）。

• smell

  The everyday, neutral word for the sense of smell in people and animals, often used when comparing how sharp it is.

  日常、中性的说法，指人和动物的嗅觉，常用于比较嗅觉的灵敏程度。

  A dog's smell is far more sensitive than a human's.

  狗的嗅觉比人类的灵敏得多。

• scent 本词

  A more literary word for the sense of smell, used almost only for animals tracking prey or a trail by odor.

  更书面的说法，几乎只用于动物凭嗅觉追踪猎物或踪迹。

  Wolves rely on scent, not sight, to track their prey through the forest.

  狼靠嗅觉而不是视觉在森林里追踪猎物。

Smell and scent mean the sense of smell. Smell is everyday and neutral, used to compare how sharp it is; smell's sense 'an odor' is not compared. Scent is literary, used for animals tracking prey by odor; scent's senses 'fragrance' and 'trail' are not compared.

这两个词在“嗅觉”这一义项上意思相近，但语体和使用范围不同：smell是日常用词，人和动物都能用来形容嗅觉的灵敏程度；scent更书面，几乎只用于动物凭嗅觉追踪猎物或踪迹的语境。这里不比较smell表示“气味”的用法，也不比较scent表示“香味”或“踪迹”的用法。

Compared meaning: to fill a place with a pleasant smell (verb).

比较义项：（某物）使弥漫香气，使充满香味（动词）。

• scent 本词

  Scent describes a natural fragrance spreading through a place on its own, and is often used in the passive or as a participle ("scented with") rather than as an everyday active verb.

  scent 描述某种天然香气自然地弥漫于某处，且常以被动式或分词形式（如“scented with”）出现，而不常作为日常主动动词使用。

  Blooming jasmine scented the garden every evening that summer.

  那年夏天，盛开的茉莉花每天傍晚都使花园弥漫着香气。

• perfume

  Perfume implies deliberately applying an actual perfume or fragrance to something (often a person or object), and is a common, everyday transitive verb.

  perfume 强调有意地给某物（常是人或物品）喷洒或涂抹真正的香水或香料，是较常见的日常及物动词。

  She perfumed her handkerchief with a few drops of rose oil before the party.

  派对前，她在手帕上滴了几滴玫瑰精油，使其充满香气。

Scent and perfume both mean to fill a place with a smell. Scent usually describes a natural fragrance spreading on its own, often used as 'scented,' not as a verb. Perfume means deliberately putting fragrance on a person or object, and is a common verb.

这两个词在该义项上都指“使某处充满宜人的香气”，含义相近，但语域和用法略有不同：scent 更常描述花香、食物等天然香气自然弥漫，且常以 scented 分词形式出现；perfume 则更强调有意地用香水或香料使人或物变香，是更常见的主动及物动词。这里不比较 scent 作名词“气味、香味”及作动词“嗅出，察觉”的用法，也不比较 perfume 作名词“香水”的用法。