Smell, stink, etc. to high heaven Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Literal Meaning Used for real smells. Often for humor or exaggeration about something smelly. After the concert, the venue smelled to high heaven! Pro Tip 2/3Exaggeration It suggests an extreme smell, but often it's an overstated expression. He took off his boots and they smelled to high heaven. Pro Tip 3/3Negative Emphasis Shows strong negative feelings about the smell. The garbage was left outside, and it smelled to high heaven.