as in rotted
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Dissimilar Words
as in decay
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
the house slowly fell into disrepair and rotted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
rotting vegetation on the bank of the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rotting
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
But whoever lies rotting in the bathtub is anyone’s guess.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
And all over Havana, neighborhoods are covered in rotting garbage piles that haven’t been picked up for months.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
Demand didn't spike, their owner said, until the heads were rotting.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
The conservancy's plan to shoot the deer from the air, using helicopters, was shut down in 2024 after residents voiced concerns of bullets raining down and rotting deer carcasses that would be left behind.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The water was yellow and smelled like rotting eggs.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Even collapse felt easier in motion than rotting in that cabin.
—Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Stout was a legendary gardener whose only garden input other than water was rotting hay.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Make sure succulents are planted in well-draining soil to keep them from rotting.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
But whoever lies rotting in the bathtub is anyone’s guess.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
And all over Havana, neighborhoods are covered in rotting garbage piles that haven’t been picked up for months.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
Demand didn't spike, their owner said, until the heads were rotting.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
The conservancy's plan to shoot the deer from the air, using helicopters, was shut down in 2024 after residents voiced concerns of bullets raining down and rotting deer carcasses that would be left behind.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The water was yellow and smelled like rotting eggs.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Even collapse felt easier in motion than rotting in that cabin.
—Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Stout was a legendary gardener whose only garden input other than water was rotting hay.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotting
Adjective
-
Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.—
John Mariani,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In that respect, Wolfram is a masterful merger of merger of serious social comment and taut, thrilling action, a film where base human cruelty is always somewhere on the horizon, a film that simply reeks of death and decay (there are more flies than Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia).—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
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Where analysts differ is on what those changes ultimately represent — whether a pragmatic path toward recovery, an incomplete liberalization constrained by PDVSA’s institutional decay, or a historic surrender of oil sovereignty under foreign oversight.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Officials said that the food security situation is deteriorating because of water shortages, insecurity, conflict and historically low levels of humanitarian assistance linked to global funding cuts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Human rights groups in Senegal say that the situation for gay people in the country has been deteriorating since 2018, and that at least a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks over allegations of homosexuality.—
Ope Adetayo,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To prevent the fallow area from turning into a weed patch, cover it with agricultural-grade plastic or a thick layer of slowly decomposing mulch such as wood chips.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Funk assures that the softened, decomposing cardboard will allow plants to grow through.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Besides preventing mold and mildew, cleaning will also taper unpleasant odors and prevent cracking and crumbling of your seal.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Leveling threats of tariffs on adversaries and allies alike has been relatively easy, but the result has been a weakening of the economy and American trade ties, and a crumbling of the old global-trade system.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
International airlines are suspending flights to Cuba as the nation continues to face a worsening fuel shortage.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Poor and minority communities face worsening health risks including cancer, asthma and extreme heat exposure from industrial facilities and climate change impacts.—
Dorany Pineda,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But mostly they are found in soil and feed on algae, fungal, plant roots and decaying organic matter.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Gomez takes up this theme in his photorealistic paintings, which often feature dramatic skies juxtaposed with decaying urban signs.—
Sharon Mizota,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some are sandy; others are rich in organic matter formed from centuries of decayed plants.—
Dinesh Phuyal,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Rotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotting. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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