ROTTEN Synonyms: 393 Similar and Opposite Words

rotten

adjective

ˈrä-tᵊn

Definition of rotten

as in spoiled

having undergone organic breakdown rotten, smelly meat that should have been thrown out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in unpleasant

not giving pleasure to the mind or senses had a rotten time while on vacation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in terrible

extremely unsatisfactory rotten housing conditions that no one should be forced to tolerate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in poor

of low quality I can't do anything with these rotten tools

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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 rotten Eventually, the plant can’t absorb enough water through its rotten roots to survive. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 July 2026 The family trees here have a lot of branches and some of them are a bit rotten. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 July 2026 The place to really advance the argument that something is rotten with elections is in the states, where officials have actual authority over the ballots, the drop boxes, the voting machines—the building blocks of elections. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 The notice of violation was issued on July 12, after the agency received more than 40 public complaints of rotten, sour, garbage-type odors in the area. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rotten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten

Adjective

Lineage has also been cited by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for rodent and pest control violations, which became an issue in the early days of the cleanup as they were attracted by the spoiled food.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Workers have cleared out and sanitized the eastern freezer, which was largely destroyed in the fire and filled with spoiled food and charred debris.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of spoiled

Adjective

Bannister starred in all five Phantasm films, battling the evil Tall Man, a role that cemented his place in horror cinema.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Despite the very best efforts of writers, cast and crew, Rhaenyra, her evil half-brothers and all their fellow citizens were never Martin’s main characters.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of evil

Adjective

That Crowley came from behind to win was a testament to Evers’ grit and determination to keep the nomination from Hong, whom Evers said was unlikely to win in November, and to how terrible of a campaigner Hong turned out to be in the home stretch.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Although the Constitution requires congressional involvement in war-making, Trump like Nixon disdained that mandate with terrible consequences.

— Elizabeth Holtzman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

But tensions have opened up between data center boosters and some community organizations that want to see more jobs and economic benefits go to local residents, especially predominantly poor Hispanic farm and food processing workers.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Conventional wisdom usually attributes those failures to changing markets, disruptive competitors, or poor leadership.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Rossi treated the paint surface, meanwhile, by removing oxidized varnish, decayed retouching, and incoherent integrations and additions, allowing viewers to appreciate the luminosity of Fra Angelico’s palette and the precision of his gilding.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Discard any that look dead or decayed.

— Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026

Definition of decayed

Browse Nearby Words

rotted

rotten

rottenly

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Style

“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rotten

adjective

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