moldering 1 of 3

adjective

as in rotting

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moldering

2 of 3

noun

as in fermentation

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Dissimilar Words

moldering

3 of 3

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • Some of the cheese sticks had started to become moldy and were past the sell-by date.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Inside was a tumble of papers, some moldy, some with partial footprints, leaves and twigs interspersed among the pages.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of moldy
Noun
  • Classical music is played during fermentation, a step used by some other brands that is certainly more gimmick than science.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Keeping fermentation, cooling and dispensing in the same keg removes the need to transfer a finished batch to a separate serving setup.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of fermentation
Verb
  • Clean The Garden Don’t keep the garden too close to your house, and make sure to clean up any fallen or rotting vegetables and plants that have died back.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Adding rotting fruit to the mix is only going to invite more damage to your yard and home.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 31 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
  • The body of 76-year-old Ronald Tyler was already decomposing by the time his daughter Terri found out where he was being stored.
    — Dave Savini, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • If soil amendment is needed, first add compost and decomposing leaves to the garden soil.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 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
  • When this disintegration occurs, toxic components of the muscle fibers can enter the circulatory system and kidneys, which can cause kidney damage, essentially acting as poison to the body.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Banquo doesn’t have to do or say a thing to trigger Macbeth’s disintegration.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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