as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
the dirty rotter tried every scam in the book to steal from the most vulnerable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rotter
As Beau, Brake is tall and gaunt, with burning eyes, a rotter who looks like Steve Buscemi crossed with David Byrne crossed with a human rattlesnake who’s a lifelong junkie.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 May 2024
Some experts say bed rotters are onto something, but there may be a right way to think about it.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 10 July 2023
So many directors have that cynical and alienated quality, the idea that everyone’s a rotter.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2021
This rich rotter’s story, needless to say, does not end well for him.
—Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2017
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 May 2024
Some experts say bed rotters are onto something, but there may be a right way to think about it.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 10 July 2023
So many directors have that cynical and alienated quality, the idea that everyone’s a rotter.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2021
This rich rotter’s story, needless to say, does not end well for him.
—Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotter
Noun
-
For those with less-briny palates, a fine jerk chicken and a number of steak cuts are also available.—
Jesse Ashlock,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Mike’s older sister, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), is our entry point to Hawkins High; a pretty striver, she’s recently been distracted from academics by a fling with popular jerk Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
And, the dog attacked again after the owner failed to secure the dog in a separate room.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Another 24 dogs were found emaciated inside, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Brewer depicts the world of music impersonators with a fair amount of affection, like the rodeo clowns of late 20th-century America.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Cirque du Soleil is known for its shows featuring acrobats, athletes and clowns – all doing spectacular feats.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The 166-piece set includes 36 dot, bam, and crack tiles, 12 dragons, 16 winds, 16 flowers, 10 jokers, and four blank spare tiles made from melamine.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
So Porter is now the guy the State Police have supposedly doing a deep dive on the clowns, grifters and assorted gender-bending jokers that Maura Healey hands six-figure hack sinecures to — judicial nominees, college presidents, the heads of the veterans’ homes, etc.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
29 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The critters who drop in or call the space home range from monarch butterflies, ladybugs and lizards to hummingbirds and bushtits, skunks, opossums and even the occasional mountain lion.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Thiols are responsible for the distinctive aromas of skunk spray and ripe durian; they’re also added to natural gas to provide a detectable rotten-egg smell at even trace levels.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rotter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotter. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
