moldering 1 of 3

adjective

as in rotting

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moldering

2 of 3

noun

as in fermentation

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moldering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of molder
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition leaves moldering in the compost pile

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 moldering
Verb
No less slippery are his matinée-idol looks, which can turn wolfish or ratty on a dime, as if his beauty were moldering away from within. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 Getting the rotting food off racks towering six stories high required hundreds of workers in protective suits to dislodge the moldering food. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 Anna Anosowicz’s highly resourceful production design makes excellent use of existing midcentury brutalist architecture and far more ancient, enduring structures, all moldering under superficially futuristic window-dressing. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 Developer John Dewberry is responsible for the site, and has a reputation for leaving half-finished, moldering construction projects in his wake. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 15 July 2026 The spooky environs created by production designer Til Frohlich are the stuff nightmares are made of; the murky bathtub, moldering linens and secret compartments that go bump in the night. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026 Rolston added that the type of pests a moldering stump can attract aren’t an issue that will necessarily affect that old stump alone—the pest problem can spread. — Steven John, Architectural Digest, 16 Feb. 2026 But then a fresh corpse turns up, as well as a long-moldering skeleton, and the club members are off and running. — Tom Gliatto, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moldering
  1. moldy
  2. fermentation
  3. rotting
  4. decaying
  5. crumbling
  6. decomposing
  7. putrescent
  8. disintegration
Adjective
  • While top-loading machines don’t have as many problems with moldy door seals, letting the drum dry when the machine is not in use is still a good idea.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Once one slice is moldy, the rest of the loaf, and potentially anything nearby, is exposed.
    — Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of moldy
Noun
  • The firm produces the indigo through microbial fermentation and synthetic biology, rather than direct photosynthesis.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • It’s made via a specific fermentation process using cooked soybeans with Bacillus subtilis var.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fermentation
Verb
  • Rifkin recounted how an ordinary Saturday of shopping ended with Sierra leaving Machado, Julia and Daniela rotting in a closet and being eaten by insects.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers grew the common research plant Arabidopsis thaliana in containers, some of which were dotted with patches of rotting apple.
    — Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotting
Adjective
  • Liberal critics, however, argued—also rightly—that the Soviet Union was a decaying, economically crippled giant by the time Reagan was inaugurated.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Besides preventing mold and mildew, cleaning will also reduce unpleasant odors and prevent cracking and crumbling of your seal.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The rest of the world is watching the crumbling of America’s economic relationship with its closest trading partner, and an administration that is calling into question the sanctity of free trade agreements generally.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • In this case, the researchers focused its attention on acetic acid – the source of the sour, vinegar-like smell coming from decomposing garbage.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The first responding officer opened one of the suitcases and discovered a woman's decomposing body -- naked, bound with rope and in a fetal position.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of decomposing
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
Noun
  • Banquo doesn’t have to do or say a thing to trigger Macbeth’s disintegration.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Conversely, modern concrete is subject to irreversible decay, a form of disintegration owing to its formation as a composite of cement and aggregate materials, such as gravel and sand.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disintegration

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Cite this Entry

“Moldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moldering. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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