putrefied 1 of 2

adjective

as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown we had to throw out the putrefied tomatoes that had been sitting on the counter all week

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putrefied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of putrefy
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house

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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 putrefied
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefied
  1. rotten
  2. decomposed
  3. decayed
  4. rotted
  5. spoiled
  6. disintegrated
Adjective
  • Since January 2023, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has received more than 28,000 complaints, many of which describe the foul smell as rotten, putrid and stomach-churning.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Zhang and his colleagues theorize that this reaction might help plants avoid pathogens, similar to the way unpleasant smells help animals steer clear of rotten food.
    — Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotten
Verb
  • The coins were originally buried together in a container made of organic material that has since decomposed, archaeologists believe.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Many of the children's bodies were severely decomposed, with only 26 able to be identified, and investigations into the other deaths are ongoing.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of decomposed
Adjective
  • In 2022, a man's decayed body was found stuffed into a metal barrel.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The soil should be moist, faintly acid smelling, from its infusion of decayed compost.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of decayed
Verb
  • So much of it has degraded—tapes rotted to spooky fuzz, videos with shaggy images and too‑white faces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
  • By this point the food in her fridge rotted and her basement flooded.
    — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotted
Adjective
  • Becoming sick from eating spoiled yogurt is uncommon, but yogurt can grow harmful microbes when left out of refrigeration or kept too long.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 31 Oct. 2026
  • When Harry boosts a USB crypto wallet from a brazen young criminal and spoiled rich kid, Dylan (Will Price), Ben has no idea what to do with it—plugging it into his circa-1995 desktop personal computer sends the machine into a tailspin.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoiled
Verb
  • The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry because of a piece of foam that the astronaut estimates might have weighed about as much as a Styrofoam container.
    — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The faction that had a chokehold on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) roster for quite some time completely disintegrated in recent weeks leading to all four male members getting into a match for Mustafa Ali’s TNA International Championship.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of disintegrated

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putrefied
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Cite this Entry

“Putrefied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefied. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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