1
as in spoiled
having undergone organic breakdown
rotten, smelly meat that should have been thrown out
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 horrible
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rotten
In two particularly egregious examples involving baby products described to CNBC, Amazon sent customers used diapers and a chiller with someone else’s rotten breastmilk inside.
—
Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 21 June 2025
On scorching days when winds blow across the California desert, the Salton Sea regularly gives off a stench of decay resembling rotten eggs.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
Not only was President Joe Biden in serious decline, Karine Jean-Pierre — celebrated in numerous fawning media profiles — was a rotten White House press secretary.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 6 June 2025
This coordinated reaction suggests the hungry nematodes may be joining together to easily hitch a ride on larger animals such as insects that transport them to (not so) greener pastures with more rotten fruit to feast on, Perez said.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotten
Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 21 June 2025
On scorching days when winds blow across the California desert, the Salton Sea regularly gives off a stench of decay resembling rotten eggs.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
Not only was President Joe Biden in serious decline, Karine Jean-Pierre — celebrated in numerous fawning media profiles — was a rotten White House press secretary.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 6 June 2025
This coordinated reaction suggests the hungry nematodes may be joining together to easily hitch a ride on larger animals such as insects that transport them to (not so) greener pastures with more rotten fruit to feast on, Perez said.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten
Adjective
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After an early tutorial sequence where players learn the ropes of controlling the powerful yet agile ape, the story introduces its antagonists: Void Company, an evil corporate mining operation hell-bent on creating a golden banana monopoly.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
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Idaho senators denounce 'evil attack' in Idaho that killed firefighters 12:44 PM EDT Zohran Mamdani not fully embraced by top New York Democrats Zohran Mamdani has not yet been fully embraced by top New York Democrats after his apparent victory in the New York City mayoral primary last week.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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But many of the Blues’ outings have been unpleasant because of high temperatures and storms, and six games across the tournament have been paused for poor weather conditions, angering manager Enzo Maresca.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
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My other wildlife standoff involved a much cuter animal, but potentially far more unpleasant.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
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The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Though the organization had a history of taking action against (supposedly) immoral ministers, Kunstler had no direct evidence to prove this was the case with Rev. Hall.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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His plan calls for demanding that messages not change more frequently than every four seconds, not include flashing lights and not include obscene, indecent or immoral content.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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After several months of strong economic news but incredibly weak consumer sentiment, America is starting to see those trends reverse: The vibes are on the rebound, but evidence is mounting that the economy is getting worse.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
28 June 2025
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Overall, the recent western drought was at its worst in late 2021, when nearly 94% of the West was in drought, before easing in 2023-24.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Gi-hun is left with a terrible choice: kill the baby and survive, or sacrifice himself so that the baby can live.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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So Amazfit Active 2 $100 $80 (20% off) Amazon $100 $80 (20% off) Amazfit Our top budget fitness tracker is even cheaper thanks to Prime Day.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
8 July 2025
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With a price tag of $99.99, the half-size bottles weren’t exactly cheap by the ounce—but that didn’t prevent stocks from selling out fast, spurred by excellent word of mouth.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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