as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
we had to throw out the putrefied tomatoes that had been sitting on the counter all week
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition
we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of putrefied
Jay Kakade
december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefied
Adjective
-
The gas Citizens Energy serves customers, typically methane, is naturally odorless so the company adds mercaptan, which smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, to serve as a sentinel in case there's a gas leak.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Filming Will Smith's TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was admittedly a bit of a rotten experience for '90s fitness legend and Stop the Insanity!—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Prosecutor Cheryl Galvin disagreed, saying that while the body had decomposed, the medical examiner was still able to conclude Chiodo died by homicide due to blunt force and sharp force injuries.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Compost is decomposed organic matter, created when microorganisms break down plant materials, food scraps, leaves, manure, and other organic inputs.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Vines growing on the trunk and branches can hide structural damage or potential hazards like a canker or decayed section of a branch or the trunk.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Now the pages are yellowed; the rubber band rotted away years ago.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
Using playground equipment that has rotted wood, wielding a tool like a drill without proper instruction or swimming in rapids could lead to serious accidents without any learning benefits.—
Marie Helweg-Larsen,
The Conversation,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a lawsuit filed against ICE last year, another former detainee said he was served spoiled milk.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
Many neurotoxins, like plant alkaloids, bacterial toxins and spoiled meat, disrupt the nervous system in ways that degrade the brain’s ability to coordinate its spatial reference frames.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Any potential scoring opportunity in the fifth inning disintegrated after Dalton Rushing’s leadoff walk.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Blaine is disintegrated, while Sam is clearly changed.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putrefied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefied. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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