as in rotted
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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
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Recent Examples of rotting
Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
But different types of seeds have different germination and growth rates (aka ‘days to harvest’), and timing this against your area’s last frost date is your secret weapon against leggy tomato seedlings that still can’t go outside, or pea seeds rotting in cold, wet soil.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months.
—Edward Acquah, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
Failing to correct problems can lead to crumbling home foundations, rotting wood, mold growth, and a proliferation of pests, including termites.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
With its worn and chipped paint and its exposure to the elements, the totem pole has been slowly rotting from the inside.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
An old couch was outside, rotting.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
When Corms Don't Sprout If your corms haven’t sprouted after two weeks, there could be several reasons for this, such as rotting due to overwatering, insufficient warmth and humidity, or the corms being too dry.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
But different types of seeds have different germination and growth rates (aka ‘days to harvest’), and timing this against your area’s last frost date is your secret weapon against leggy tomato seedlings that still can’t go outside, or pea seeds rotting in cold, wet soil.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months.
—Edward Acquah, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
Failing to correct problems can lead to crumbling home foundations, rotting wood, mold growth, and a proliferation of pests, including termites.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
With its worn and chipped paint and its exposure to the elements, the totem pole has been slowly rotting from the inside.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
An old couch was outside, rotting.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 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
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Many cracked and leaked from decades of decay, letting rain in and worsening backups that surge through maintenance hole covers, drain into city rivers and flow into basements.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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That debt has been settled in full by five decades of theocratic brutality and economic decay.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Blackouts now last most of the day in many Cuban cities, tourism is dwindling, and some foreign companies have begun to pull their personnel from the island amid deteriorating conditions.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
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Loose or deteriorating flashings, which can be caused by harsh winter weather and changing temperatures, are one of the most common sources of roof leaks.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the weeks that followed the cyclone, more than 20 decomposing bodies washed ashore in Italy and Libya while other human remains were spotted floating in the middle of the sea.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Detectives said the victim’s body had already begun decomposing.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the tree grows, the roots will push out and possibly up, causing cracks and crumbling of the surfaces.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The introduction of Allen Klein [the notorious business manager whom Lennon advocated to take over the Beatles' affairs] precipitates the band’s crumbling.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The country is facing a worsening economic crisis.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Worries are worsening that the war could block the production of oil in the Persian Gulf for a long time and cause a debilitating surge of inflation for the global economy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That lurid fable was followed by 2023’s Pictures of Ghosts, an impressionistic documentary that told the parallel stories of Mendonça Filho’s life in movies and Recife’s decaying cinemas.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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The series doesn’t shyaway from the gory intricacies of death, including decaying cadavers and the detailed autopsies Kay performs.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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 20 Mar. 2026.
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