meaning

[daisy1352]

When I say "the soup smells delicious" what does smell here mean?

[curmudgeon]

The aroma of the soup.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by daisy1352

When I say "the soup smells delicious" what does smell here mean?

In that use, "smell" is a linking verb. The soup is not smelling anything.

The verb links the adjective to the subject.

Here's an example I often use:

The dog smells bad. (he has an offensive odor)
The dog smells badly. (don't take him hunting -- his nose doesn't work)