GANGRENE Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

gangrene

noun

Definition of gangrene

as in rot

a pervasive moral or social decay a society beset by moral gangrene

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 gangrene The researchers made their conclusion after discovering fungal material rather than the bacterial agents in gangrene in a piece of Louis XIV's heart, which is stored in the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025 In a case from just last year, a lawsuit alleges the then-resident suffered from deterioration of wounds and gangrene. — Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025 One of the more serious symptoms of diabetes is foot ulcers, which can go largely unnoticed, turn into a blister, and develop into gangrene or sepsis before requiring an amputation. — Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025 At one site in Lancaster, a 69-year-old man being treated for gangrene died after a nurse gave him a four-drug cocktail that included the painkiller Norco and the sedative Ativan, state investigators reported. — Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gangrene

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangrene

Noun

Now the rot is right there on the surface; the people smiling are less likely to be clueless optimists than the people who are happy about the rot, or profiting from it.

— Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Joe is a knowing witness to and participant in the rot at the heart of Western Civilization.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of rot

Noun

That committee adjourned without action, but Madigan was later convicted on corruption charges and is serving a 7 1/2-year federal prison sentence.

— Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur, which won Cannes’ runner-up prize, the Grand Prix, explores personal, political and patriarchal corruption in contemporary Russia.

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of corruption

Noun

But for Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), the local personalities pale in comparison to the evils lurking beneath the cursed island’s surface.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Venom dunking Who would win in a basketball game, Spider-Man or his evil doppelgänger Venom?

— Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of evil

Noun

There could be IoT solution or sensor degradation, connectivity issues and hallucinations because of poor update procedures and more.

— Punnam Raju Manthena, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
However, its natural habitat is at risk of degradation because of human activities such as aquaculture, conversion of forest and wetlands into farmlands, and infrastructure development.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of degradation

Noun

But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.

— Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026

Definition of sinfulness

Noun

Independents said the worst thing about Republicans was their loyalty to Trump (10%), perceptions of corruption and self-enrichment (8%), dishonesty, hypocrisy or immorality (7%), a lack of concern for ordinary people or cruelty (6%), and ineffective and weak or unqualified leadership (5%).

— Emily Guskin, ABC News, 27 May 2026
That immorality takes on many forms across all aspects of society.

— Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 May 2026

Definition of immorality

Noun

Prosecutors added the boys were covered in flies, filth and bedsores, were unable to walk, and were left lying in the same position for months in a Mott Haven home with no electricity.

— Alice Gainer, CBS News, 30 July 2026
In 2023, the state confiscated around 100 animals from the zoo, owing to concerns that animals were kept in filth, sick animals were allegedly denied veterinary care, and dozens of dead animal bodies and parts were on the property.

— Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Definition of filth

Browse Nearby Words

gangly

gangrene

gangrenous

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gangrene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangrene. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gangrene

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on gangrene

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vacuous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes