ROTTED Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

rotted 1 of 2

adjective

as in rotting

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Dissimilar Words

rotted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of rot

as in deteriorated

to become worse or of less value the house slowly fell into disrepair and rotted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decomposed

to go through decomposition rotting vegetation on the bank of the river

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rotted

Adjective

Inspect fences and perform any repairs or maintenance, such as reinforcing posts or replacing rotted sections. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away. — John Mariani, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Verb

So much of it has degraded—tapes rotted to spooky fuzz, videos with shaggy images and too‑white faces. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 By this point the food in her fridge rotted and her basement flooded. — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 In the process, Ownbey discovered support timbers had rotted away, forcing him to bring entire walls to his workshop for meticulous reconstruction. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026 The missing 14-year-old’s body rotted for weeks until it was found in the trunk of a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard last September, severed at the limbs and stuffed into black plastic bags, according to medical examiner’s records and court filings. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 While the timber has long since rotted away, the posts lined up to point directly at the rising sun during the summer solstice and the setting sun at the winter solstice — in the same way as Stonehenge. — Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 18 June 2026 Now the pages are yellowed; the rubber band rotted away years ago. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 31 May 2026 That last line is a nod for the brain-rotted among us. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026 Conley could’ve rotted away in Chicago. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotted

Adjective

In 2022, a man's decayed body was found stuffed into a metal barrel.

— Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Aug. 2026
The soil should be moist, faintly acid smelling, from its infusion of decayed compost.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of decayed

Verb

Ties between the two countries, which had deteriorated sharply following a deadly border skirmish in 2020, have been thawing for more than a year.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
An individual company can maintain excellent controls and favorable claims experience while still facing higher pricing because the market has deteriorated around it.

— Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

The body itself was badly decomposed after spending an unknown amount of time exposed to the elements, with animals, bugs and rain, plus 50 years in storage.

— Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Determining the causes of death was complicated by how decomposed the bodies were, the medical examiner’s office said.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of decomposed

Verb

Even though it’s often served composed, the ingredients — bacon, tomatoes, egg and blue cheese — are cut (or crumbled) to the same size.

— Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
An agreement reached in June quickly crumbled, with no sign of diplomatic progress since then.

— Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of crumbled

Verb

After a 2025 season in which their offensive line disintegrated before their eyes, the Chargers had every reason to believe this would be a bounce-back year.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The house was the only one that was still standing; all the others have disintegrated into abstract shapes.

— Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of disintegrated

Adjective

Liberal critics, however, argued—also rightly—that the Soviet Union was a decaying, economically crippled giant by the time Reagan was inaugurated.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
The district also could be in for other major changes in the coming years, including the opening of a few new schools to replace multiple decaying, underenrolled schools.

— Scott Travis, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026

Definition of decaying

Verb

There was another hint — this one visible to more than just a select few people — when Mas and his Spanish team descended on another principality, Monaco, for the race’s start.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Sheehan and other men of Patrol 2 got the call and descended the long ramp, several stories deep into the debris pile, and helped bring Keith back to the top.

— Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of descended

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“Rotted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotted. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rotted

adjective

verb

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