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
  • Shortly after the first frosts, potato vines will begin to decompose at a faster rate.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Another legend explains how in the distant past, the nefarious Lake Nyos was formed from the decomposing body of a Kom chief whose people had been tricked and murdered by the Bamessi tribe.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Curing or drying potatoes thickens their skins, allows minor cuts and abrasions to heal, and makes spuds less likely to rot or shrivel in storage.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Gutters provide easy access to your home, and clogs can create moisture that leads to rotting wood that termites like.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Mia Wasikowska plays Edith, an heiress who marries a seductive baron, Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), and moves into his enormous, decaying mansion — which is also inhabited by Thomas' enigmatic sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain).
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Small, viscous waves lapped against the shore, the swell leaving behind a brown shelf of decaying organic matter.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ethan Hawke stars as Lorenz Hart of legendary songsmiths Rodgers & Hart as the prolific partnership disintegrates to his great dismay.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
  • This difference sounds small, but preventing a few tenths of a degree of warming could keep polar ice caps from completely disintegrating, coral reefs from collapsing and other tipping points from triggering.
    Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Putrefy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefy. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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