Question: If "reek" is used as a term to describe something that smells bad, what word of equivalent meaning would describe something that tastes bad?

Answer: 
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> “smell” : “***reek***”  
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>  “taste” : “***smack***”
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There is no one word that works everywhere, but ***smack*** is a perfect replacement in the compound verb *reeks of*:

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> Your plan *reeks of* desperation. (*bad-smell metaphor*)  
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>  Your plan *smacks of* desperation. (*bad-taste metaphor*)
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### Acknowledgements

“[Words related to taste](http://www.lexfn.com/l/lexfn-cuff.cgi?sWord=taste&tWord=&query=show&maxReach=2&Atrg=on&Asyn=on&Agen=on&Aspc=on&Acom=on&Apar=on&Abox=on&Abnx=on&Abbx=on&Abdx=on&Abtr=on&Abak=on)” at Lexical FreeNet
Connected Thesaurus  

“[define smack](https://www.google.com/webhp?q=define%20smack)” at Google  

“[smack of](http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/smack-of)” at Macmillan Dictionary
You're probably used to this in a different sense, but [disgusting](http://www.dictionary.com/browse/disgusting) means

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> causing disgust; offensive to the physical, moral, or aesthetic taste.
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The etymology of [disgust](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=disgust) is "dis + taste"; in other words, it tastes so bad that feels repugnace toward it. 

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> 1590s, from Middle French desgoust "strong dislike, repugnance," literally "distaste" (16c., Modern French dégoût), from desgouster "have a distaste for," from des- "opposite of" (see dis-) + gouster "taste," from Latin gustare "to taste" (see gusto).
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