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rotten

adjective
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rot·​ten | \ ˈrä-tᵊn How to pronounce rotten (audio) \

Definition of rotten

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having rotted : putrid
2 : morally corrupt
3 : extremely unpleasant or inferior a rotten day a rotten job
4 : very uncomfortable feeling rotten
5 : of very poor quality : lousy, abominable a rotten show what rotten luck

rotten

adverb

Definition of rotten (Entry 2 of 2)

: to an extreme degree spoiled rotten
Other Words from rotten Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rotten

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Other Words from rotten

Adjective

rottenly adverb
rottenness \ ˈrä-​tᵊn-​(n)əs How to pronounce rottenness (audio) \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for rotten

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adjective

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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective This works to our advantage when applying deer repellent, some of which, having rotten egg as a main ingredient, are really stinky. — Beth Segal, cleveland, "How to keep deer – and rabbits, groundhogs and other hungry critters – out of your vegetable garden," 13 Aug. 2020 Further complicating matters is the fact that fans can smell a rotten deal. — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, "Jon Daniels and the Rangers need to bet on Joey Gallo’s talent and show him the money before it’s too late," 5 Aug. 2020 Lebanon’s prime minister said that investigators will determine if negligence or criminal activity was behind the dangerous storage, but the overarching culprit seems to be rotten institutions. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "See the aftermath of the devastating Beirut explosion from space," 5 Aug. 2020 Indeed, that is the main reason why our welfare state is so rotten in the first place. — Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, "What about police violence against white people?," 9 June 2020 One Sunday, in an autumn that now seems very long ago, a couple perhaps a generation older than me shoved a rotten mattress around the banister at the bottom of the stairs in our building; they were headed to the back yard. — Scott Korb, Longreads, "Lloyd’s Mattress," 26 May 2020 Unfortunately, the flower smells like rotten meat and attracts flies. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Dan Gill's mailbag: What is this weird, beautiful succulent that smells like rotten meat?," 5 Aug. 2020 This French Restaurant is known for its eccentric decor (like octopus chandeliers) and even more exotic fare, including rotten hen egg with melanosporum truffles on a mushroom and truffle puree. — Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, "This South Carolina Hotel Was Just Named the Best in the Country," 28 July 2020 For same day shooting, pick a bow stave that is dead and dry, but not rotten. — Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, "9 Tips For Building a Bow (and Arrows) in a Survival Situation," 25 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: 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, "Only a Flawed Genius Builds a Bugatti Veyron," 29 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rotten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rotten

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1880, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for rotten

Adjective

Middle English roten, from Old Norse rotinn; akin to Old English rotian to rot

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Time Traveler for rotten

Time Traveler

The first known use of rotten was in the 13th century

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Statistics for rotten

Last Updated

20 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotten. Accessed 22 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for rotten

rotten

adjective
How to pronounce rotten (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of rotten

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: having rotted or decayed and no longer able to be used, eaten, etc.
: very bad or unpleasant
: not well or healthy

rotten

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of rotten (Entry 2 of 2)

informal
: very badly or poorly
: very much

See the full definition for rotten in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rotten

adjective
rot·​ten | \ ˈrä-tᵊn How to pronounce rotten (audio) \

Kids Definition of rotten

1 : having rotted rotten wood
2 : morally bad
3 : of poor quality They did a rotten job.
4 : very unpleasant … being a teenager is pretty rotten—between pimples and worrying about how you smell!— Judy Blume, Are You There God?

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More from Merriam-Webster on rotten

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rotten

Spanish Central: Translation of rotten

Nglish: Translation of rotten for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rotten for Arabic Speakers

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