rancid

adjective

ran·​cid ˈran(t)-səd 

1

: having an unpleasant smell or taste usually from chemical change or decomposition

rancid butter

rancid breath

2

: distinctly unpleasant or distasteful : offensive

a rancid sexual scandal

Without free speech, even in its most rancid forms, we may have nothing to choose at night but old movies and "Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!"

—Richard Corliss

rancidity

ran-ˈsi-də-tē 

noun

rancidness

ˈran(t)-səd-nəs 

noun

Did you know?

Rancid and putrid and fetid—oh my! All three words are used to describe unpleasant smells and tastes, and each traces its roots to a "stinky" Latin word: rancid can be traced back to rancēre; the root of putrid shares an ancestor with putēre; and fetid comes from foetēre—all verbs meaning "to stink." Not long after entering the language in the early 17th century, rancid also developed a second, figurative sense which is used for non-gustatory and non-olfactory offenses, as in "rancid hypocrisy."

Synonyms of rancid

• disgusting
• ugly
• sickening
• awful
• horrible
• hideous
• obscene
• obnoxious
• shocking
• offensive
• nasty
• dreadful

Examples of rancid in a Sentence

Some foods become rancid quickly.

an unscrupulous food vendor who's as rancid as the meat that he serves

Recent Examples on the Web

Reports are already emerging from the South Texas Family Residential Center an hour south of San Antonio, which ICE uses to house children slated for removal from this country, of rancid food and overcrowded cells. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026

Storing the grease with bits of bacon can cause the grease to go rancid. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2026

Use food-safe mineral oil for this step, not vegetable or olive oil, which can turn rancid. —Lizzy Briskin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026

Keeping natural light from the seeds protects the omega fatty acids and ensures the seeds won’t be rancid upon opening. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin rancidus, from rancēre to be rancid

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

rancid

adjective

ran·​cid ˈran(t)-səd 

: having a strong disagreeable smell or taste

rancid butter

rancidity

ran-ˈsid-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

rancid

adjective

ran·​cid ˈran(t)-səd 

: having a rank smell or taste usually from chemical change or decomposition

rancid butter