2
: not morally good : not kind, loyal, honest, etc.
She's a rotten friend.
He was rotten to the core.
3
: extremely unpleasant or inferior
having a rotten day
a rotten job
4
: not well or healthy
feeling rotten
5
: of very poor quality : lousy, abominable
a rotten show
what rotten luck
6
—used for emphasis when expressing anger
You can keep your rotten money!
rottenly
adverb
: to an extreme degree
spoiled rotten
Examples of rotten in a Sentence
Adjective
They did a rotten job.
What rotten weather we're having.
Adverb
Those kids were spoiled rotten by their mother.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Learn how to banish that rotten egg smell from your washer while keeping it fresh, clean, and odor-free.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Chris Bryant | Bloomberg, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rotten
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Adjective
In a city in which the house always wins — and so many others lose and lose — the Raiders’ rotten run of futility is getting old.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Learn how to banish that rotten egg smell from your washer while keeping it fresh, clean, and odor-free.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Adverb
If underlings are afraid to question authority or the board lack independent voices, a corporate culture can soon turn rotten.
—Chris Bryant | Bloomberg, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rotten
Cite this Entry
“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotten. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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