1
as in spoiled
having undergone organic breakdown
rotten, smelly meat that should have been thrown out
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
played a rotten trick and then lied about it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
had a rotten time while on vacation
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4
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
rotten housing conditions that no one should be forced to tolerate
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5
as in poor
of low quality
I can't do anything with these rotten tools
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rotten
In a city in which the house always wins — and so many others lose and lose — the Raiders’ rotten run of futility is getting old.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Learn how to banish that rotten egg smell from your washer while keeping it fresh, clean, and odor-free.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
But toss everything into a cauldron and the end result is a rotten stew of the Beavers’ own making.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Truly rotten pumpkins also don't make good toys or feed for wildlife—whether the wildlife around your home or as feed or entertainment for animals at the zoo or local farm—though pumpkins that are just softening are ideal for this role.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotten
Michael Silver, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Learn how to banish that rotten egg smell from your washer while keeping it fresh, clean, and odor-free.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
But toss everything into a cauldron and the end result is a rotten stew of the Beavers’ own making.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Truly rotten pumpkins also don't make good toys or feed for wildlife—whether the wildlife around your home or as feed or entertainment for animals at the zoo or local farm—though pumpkins that are just softening are ideal for this role.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten
Adjective
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What to Do With Overripe Pears Not to worry if pears are soft but not spoiled.—
Lynn Andriani,
Martha Stewart,
8 Jan. 2026
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The United Center cheers were nearly spoiled when Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the game-winner for an offside penalty.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In director John Boorman's extravagant sci-fi classic Excalibur (1981), the star played Morgana, King Arthur's estranged and evil half-sister.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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As that tension escalates, battles — between good and evil, fantasy and reality, collapse and triumph — ensue.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Using a speaker outside the stall results in reverb and echoing as the music bounces around the bathroom walls, making the sound muddy and unpleasant.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Often the boarding school is a site for terrible trauma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
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The family settled in the Chicago area during a terrible snowstorm, a shock to Noorani's parents, who came from the tropical Tanzanian island of Zanzibar.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Of the 20 dead cats, eight were too decayed for a necropsy exam, which determines the cause of death of a dead animal and any associated diseases or injuries.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Aug. 2025
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The breakthrough came when researchers focused on coelomic fluid, the internal liquid surrounding the sea stars’ organs, rather than tissue from decayed specimens.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to being immoral, CFA’s support for BDS likely violates state law, AB 2844, which prohibits California from contracting with entities that engage in discrimination, including against Jews or Israelis.—
Mark Pinkert,
Oc Register,
23 Dec. 2025
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The film follows the deliciously immoral, widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), who maneuvers, deceives and seduces her way through London and across her relatives' country estates in an effort to find a wealthy husband for herself and her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark).—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Now, but as the statistics and figures come in here in Minneapolis, there's double-digit drops in crime, coupled with a lot of bad people and bad things being taken off of your streets.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Under President Biden, the FTC and DOJ slowed large transactions, suggesting that all big businesses were bad businesses.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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