gangrenous

adjective

as in rotting

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 gangrenous Patients arrived with gangrenous foot wounds that harried providers elsewhere brushed off as athlete’s foot. — Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 Brian Gibson’s gangrenous bass riffs and gibbering, muffled vocals have even more gonzo energy than usual, while Chippendale mixes bombast and finesse with his customary flair. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026 Its namesake, cattleman Oliver Loving, was shot by a band of raiders during a cattle drive in 1866, and died of shock a few days later after a doctor didn’t amputate his gangrenous arm. — Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangrenous
  1. putrescent
  2. decaying
  3. putrid
  4. moldy
  5. decayed
  6. mildewy
  7. rotten
  8. putrefied
Adjective
  • This putrescent combination of sky-high home prices, rising mortgage rates and stifling consumer inflation have forced all but the wealthiest or most determined buyers out of a new home.
    — Q.ai - Powering a Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022
Definition of putrescent
Adjective
  • The district also could be in for other major changes in the coming years, including the opening of a few new schools to replace multiple decaying, underenrolled schools.
    — Scott Travis, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Definition of decaying
Adjective
  • Residents explained that support offered by the company was little to no use amid heavy smoke and ash during the fire emergency, and strong putrid odors of rotting food that were only strengthened by rising temperatures.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • To this day, the putrid, offensive odor coming from the tens of millions of pounds of rotting food in the warehouse is unbearable for families.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of putrid
Adjective
  • Sailors reportedly face moldy conditions, food shortages, and lack basic necessities, raising mental health concerns.
    — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, health inspectors cited four eateries for violations including moldy bell peppers and rodent droppings.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado July 17, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of moldy
Adjective
  • Rossi treated the paint surface, meanwhile, by removing oxidized varnish, decayed retouching, and incoherent integrations and additions, allowing viewers to appreciate the luminosity of Fra Angelico’s palette and the precision of his gilding.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Discard any that look dead or decayed.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of decayed
Adjective
  • However, there are benefits to pruning dead or mildewy leaves.
    — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 20 July 2026
  • Does that musty, mildewy smell seem to get worse on warm days?
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
Definition of mildewy
Adjective
  • The meeting comes after Lineage Logistics, which operates the 500,000-square-foot facility, has already been cited by AQMD officials for the rotten odor.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The veal barn had a smell Birdie had never smelled anywhere else—antiseptic, then sweet like a flower and rotten like manure.
    — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • They’re formulated to smell like things rabbits detest, like blood or putrefied eggs.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026
  • Since some Indigenous tribes from the Arctic and subarctic are known to eat maggots from putrefied meat, the researchers considered maggots a potential factor driving those isotope spikes.
    — Jay Kakade December 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
Definition of putrefied

Browse Nearby Words

gangrene
gangrenous
gangs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gangrenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangrenous. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All