Synonyms of putrid

putrid

adjective

ˈpyü-trəd 

as in rotten

having undergone organic breakdown

the putrid remains of a dead raccoon on the side of the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rotten
• spoiled
• decomposed
• decayed
• rotting
• corrupted
• bad
• putrefied
• polluted
• addled
• rancid
• sour
• contaminated
• soured
• fermented
• tainted
• turned
• putrescent
• impure
• decaying
• curdled
• decomposing
• degenerated
• defiled
• moldy
• fouled
• deteriorated
• corroded
• rank
• off
• crumbled
• sourish
• disintegrated
• mildewy
• putrefying
• gangrenous
• disintegrating
• moldering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fresh
• sweet
• good
• undecomposed
• preserved
• untouched
• pristine
• uncontaminated
• unspoiled
• unpolluted
• untainted
• undefiled

Synonym Chooser

How is the word putrid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of putrid are fetid, fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, rank, and stinking. While all these words mean "bad-smelling," putrid implies particularly the sickening odor of decaying organic matter.

the putrid smell of rotting fish

How are the words fusty and musty related as synonyms of putrid?

Both fusty and musty suggest lack of fresh air and sunlight, fusty also implying prolonged uncleanliness, musty stressing the effects of dampness, mildew, or age.

a fusty attic

the musty odor of a damp cellar

When would malodorous be a good substitute for putrid?

While in some cases nearly identical to putrid, malodorous may range from the unpleasant to the strongly offensive.

malodorous fertilizers

When is noisome a more appropriate choice than putrid?

The synonyms noisome and putrid are sometimes interchangeable, but noisome adds a suggestion of being harmful or unwholesome as well as offensive.

a stagnant, noisome sewer

When is it sensible to use rank instead of putrid?

The words rank and putrid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rank suggests a strong unpleasant smell.

rank cigar smoke

How do stinking and fetid relate to one another, in the sense of putrid?

Both stinking and fetid suggest the foul or disgusting.

prisoners were held in stinking cells

the fetid odor of skunk cabbage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of putrid

As a subset of flowering plants figured out long ago, many flies and some beetles are drawn to the putrid and foul over the pretty and floral. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 8 May 2025

Two of the city’s most prominent sports decision-makers, trying to tug their Broncos to the same heights these Nuggets have reached in recent years, were treated to some of the most putrid basketball anyone inside Ball Arena could’ve possibly imagined. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 11 May 2025

The Wolves scored just 88 points to open the Western Conference semifinals, just 31 in a putrid first-half showing. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2025

The result is a gaping ulcer writhing with maggots, which attracts yet more adult female screwworms that can lay hundreds more eggs, deepening the putrid, festering lesion. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025