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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefy
Verb
  • The farm worked with Ducks Unlimited for a different conservation easement applicable to its rice fields, and was an early adopter of post-harvest flood practices to decompose rice straw left over from harvest.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • While strontium aluminate can readily decompose in plants, posing harm to plant tissue, Liu said, the scientists developed a chemical coating for the material that acts as a protective barrier.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Check each tomato for pest damage or disease such as blossom end rot.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
  • It can also be used to describe the brain-rotting content itself.
    Safiyah Riddle, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Researchers from each, plus the United States, were attempting to decipher the challenges presented by opposing either a regime or a decaying democracy.
    Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Their decaying carcasses led to the rapid deterioration of water quality and an explosion of harmful bacteria, researchers said.
    Lauren Liebhaber September 5, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Before flight 10, Starship's most recent demonstration came on May 27, when the spacecraft spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
  • The situation quickly disintegrated as Joseph Gerber, 45, who had an outstanding felony warrant, fired first and wounded Mancera.
    Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Putrefy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefy. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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