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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

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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 However, compost can start to smell like rotten eggs, ammonia, or worse if the composting process goes awry or the compost pile has become imbalanced in some way. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 May 2025 There are two types of repellents: Taste, which often contains capsaicin and requires the animal to take a nibble; and odor, which is sulfur-based and smells like rotten eggs. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 10 May 2025 The smell, an odor like rotten eggs, is the sargassum piles decomposing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025 Once seaweed washes ashore, the piles start to rot and release hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rotten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten
Adjective
  • While Disney hasn’t revealed Starfighter’s plot, THR adds that the film revolves around Gosling’s character protecting a young charge against evil pursuers, one of whom is Goth.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 June 2025
  • These dedicated warriors certainly earn our admiration in the good/evil binary of the conflict, but complications help give the documentary shape, as in the attention given a crusty logger named Valdir, who agreed to be featured on camera.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Castillo’s short novel is a giddy character study of an unpleasant young male type.
    Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 2 June 2025
  • To neutralize unpleasant smells, add a few pots of aromatic herbs, like rosemary and lavender.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
Adjective
  • Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
  • Our hearts go out to those who witnessed this horrible attack, and prayers for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Job Corps, established in 1964, provides education and vocational training to disadvantaged youth but has been criticized by the Labor Department for poor outcomes and safety issues.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.
    MD Published, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Kudos to Bruce Springsteen for practicing his First Amendment rights to rail against the corrupt policies and immoral actions of the Trump administration.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 May 2025
  • Independent jurors can blunt the force of immoral laws and arbitrary prosecutions by refusing to subject their neighbors to unjust laws or overtly cruel punishment.
    Mike Fox, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • That cartilage injury was worse than expected, and Jiménez could miss all or most of this season rehabbing.
    David O'Brien, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • Athletics manager Mark Kotsay has continued to search for answers to cure what ails the Athletics during their historically bad run of losing in West Sacramento.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • Kids these days have attention spans crushed under the terrible weight of TikTok and Instgram.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • The veto was a terrible blow to the cause of reparations, which has been gaining momentum across the country despite the Trump administration, which seems hell-bent on sending America backwards.
    Robert Turner, Baltimore Sun, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Cremation, increasingly popular, is cheaper: good for the customer, less so for the bottom line.
    Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
  • One possible option is a center or third lane with curbs that would require less land to be acquired and be cheaper.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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