rot 1 of 2

1
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances the rot begins shortly after the fish are killed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rot

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of rot are decay, decompose, putrefy, and spoil. While all these words mean "to undergo destructive dissolution," rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.

fruit was left to rot in warehouses

Where would decay be a reasonable alternative to rot?

The words decay and rot are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.

a decaying mansion

When can decompose be used instead of rot?

The words decompose and rot can be used in similar contexts, but decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

the strong odor of decomposing vegetation

When would putrefy be a good substitute for rot?

While in some cases nearly identical to rot, putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.

corpses putrefying on the battlefield

In what contexts can spoil take the place of rot?

While the synonyms spoil and rot are close in meaning, 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 rot
Noun
In addition to preserving the milk, formaldehyde also reportedly had a slightly sweet flavor, which helped improve the taste of rot, Blum explains. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025 After years of rot, a lone January window wasn’t going to infuse this United side with the tactical ethos needed to yield positive results. Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
He’s made to pay for his crimes and rot in a prison cell for the rest of his life, knowing that no one, not even his son, wants anything whatsoever to do with him. Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury was the final blow, the last solid piece of the Good Ship Giannis that was keeping it afloat long after the rest of the rotting ship was overrun with rats. John Hollinger, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rot
Noun
  • Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.
    Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In March, Rose Shalom of Sunland lost her husband, Mannie Rezende, who had slowly deteriorated from Alzheimer’s over several years.
    Steve Lopez, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
  • But their relationship deteriorated as both countries became less secular.
    David Makovsky, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Any actor that’s been working for over three decades has a giant garbage bag filled of pilots.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
  • Bears are generally solitary, shy animals but are food-driven and often find easy meals in garbage bins.
    Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • One of the five Venezuelan opposition activists who recently escaped after more than a year confined inside the Argentine Embassy in Caracas says their dramatic rescue underscores the crumbling state of the Nicolas Maduro regime’s security forces.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
  • Prosecutors say Read struck John O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and left him to freeze and die on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road in Canton in the early morning of Jan. 29, 2022, after yet another argument in their crumbling relationship.
    Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Communities also found decomposing bodies floating past their homes, leaders said.
    Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
  • Inside the home, authorities found the 70-year-old’s body dismembered and decomposing in 14 plastic bags, police said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Everyone will be there — except Lydia, who Joseph dispatches on a nonsense errand to D.C.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2025
  • The sequel has more glamour, more trouble and maybe a bit too much nonsense 1 Comments The first Simple Favor, from 2018, was a playful, shallow mystery most notable for casting the lovely, languid Blake Lively as a cynical, devious clothes horse named Emily Nelson.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The situation for consumers has worsened as businesses have passed production costs down to their customers.
    Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
  • Delays also worsened, with 78.1% of flights arriving on time last year, down from 78.3% in 2023.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rot. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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