Synonyms of putrefy

putrefy

verb

ˈpyü-trə-ˌfī 

as in to decompose

to go through decomposition

we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decompose
• rot
• disintegrate
• decay
• perish
• fester
• deteriorate
• corrupt
• mold
• spoil
• fall apart
• crumble
• foul
• descend
• contaminate
• molder
• break down
• pollute
• turn
• ferment
• sour
• rust
• go to seed
• defile
• taint
• mortify
• curdle
• degenerate
• wither
• turn off
• sink
• dilapidate
• addle
• decline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• grow
• ripen
• develop
• mature
• age
• restore
• renew
• refresh
• purify
• cleanse
• improve
• integrate
• better
• assemble
• compose
• ameliorate
• meliorate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word putrefy different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of putrefy are decay, decompose, rot, and spoil. While all these words mean "to undergo destructive dissolution," putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.

corpses putrefying on the battlefield

When might decay be a better fit than putrefy?

In some situations, the words decay and putrefy are roughly equivalent. However, decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.

a decaying mansion

When would decompose be a good substitute for putrefy?

Although the words decompose and putrefy have much in common, decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

the strong odor of decomposing vegetation

How do rot and decompose relate to one another, in the sense of putrefy?

Rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.

fruit was left to rot in warehouses

Where would spoil be a reasonable alternative to putrefy?

The meanings of spoil and putrefy largely overlap; however, spoil applies chiefly to the decomposition of foods.

keep the ham from spoiling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of putrefy

Because lose-lose situations are so endemic to the genre, a hint of relief can sometimes accompany the prospect of surrender to the putrefying mob. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025

Fast-forward to now, and the scene has putrefied into a wasteland of the percussive undead. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 July 2025

But those explicit depictions underscore the many points McCartney and McLennan are trying to make about how misogyny putrefies society. —Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024

It was designed to hold 20 bodies but on this day held 28 — the putrefied remains testifying to two dozen shattered dreams of reaching the United States. —Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024

Mules killed in the assault putrefied and attracted swarms of maggots. —Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024

Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, dregs and undigested material inside the body turned poisonous if not expelled. —Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023

Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, so did dregs and undigested material inside the body turn poisonous if not expelled. —Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023