How do you use "Smell a rat" in a sentence?

I smell a rat with this deal. She smelled a rat right away. Something's off—I smell a rat.

Smell a rat

Q: What does "Smell a rat" mean?

To suspect something is wrong; to sense deception. 'Smelling a rat' means sensing something is wrong—detecting trickery or dishonesty, as a dog or cat might detect a rat's presence.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: To suspect something is wrong; to sense deception.

怀疑有问题；感觉到欺骗。

Sospechar que algo va mal; percibir un engaño.

何か怪しいと感じること。騙されている気がすること。

뭔가 수상하다고 느끼다. 속임수를 감지하다.

'Smelling a rat' means sensing something is wrong—detecting trickery or dishonesty, as a dog or cat might detect a rat's presence.

'smelling a rat（闻到老鼠味）'意味着感觉到有什么不对劲——就像狗或猫察觉到老鼠的存在一样，察觉到欺诈或不诚实。

'Smelling a rat' (oler a rata) significa percibir que algo está mal: detectar un engaño o deshonestidad, como un perro o gato detecta la presencia de una rata.

「smelling a rat（ネズミの匂いを嗅ぐ）」は何かがおかしいと感じること——犬や猫がネズミの存在を察知するように、策略や不正を感じ取ることです。

'Smelling a rat'는 뭔가 잘못되었다고 감지하는 것, 즉 개나 고양이가 쥐의 존재를 감지하듯이 속임수나 부정직함을 느끼는 것을 의미합니다.

Examples

I smell a rat with this deal.
这笔交易我觉得有猫腻。
Me huele mal este negocio.
この取引は何か怪しい。
이 거래는 뭔가 수상해.
She smelled a rat right away.
她立刻就感觉到不对劲。
Enseguida se olió algo raro.
彼女はすぐに何か変だと感じた。
그녀는 곧바로 수상한 낌새를 챘다.
Something's off—I smell a rat.
有什么不对——我闻到了猫腻。
Algo no cuadra: aquí hay gato encerrado.
何かおかしい——怪しいぞ。
뭔가 이상해——수상한 냄새가 나.

Pronunciation

/smel ə ræt/

Usage Guide

Context: suspicion, deception, intuition

Tone: suspicious, alert

✓ Do Say

Smell a rat
觉得有猫腻
oler algo raro
怪しいと感じる
수상하게 여기다
I smell a rat
我觉得有问题
aquí hay gato encerrado
何か怪しい
뭔가 수상해

Common Mistakes

About suspecting deception, not actual rodents

Origin & History

From the idea of cats or dogs detecting rats by smell. The phrase dates from at least the 16th century, representing intuitive detection of something hidden or wrong.

Etymology: Detecting hidden rats by smell = sensing hidden problems

First recorded: 16th century

Cultural Context

Era: 16th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Universal expression

Regional notes: English-language universal.

Variations

Smell a ratSmelled a rat