rot 1 of 2

1
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances the rot begins shortly after the fish are killed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rot

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rot different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rot are decay, decompose, putrefy, and spoil. While all these words mean "to undergo destructive dissolution," rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.

fruit was left to rot in warehouses

Where would decay be a reasonable alternative to rot?

The words decay and rot are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.

a decaying mansion

When can decompose be used instead of rot?

The words decompose and rot can be used in similar contexts, but decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

the strong odor of decomposing vegetation

When would putrefy be a good substitute for rot?

While in some cases nearly identical to rot, putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.

corpses putrefying on the battlefield

In what contexts can spoil take the place of rot?

While the synonyms spoil and rot are close in meaning, spoil applies chiefly to the decomposition of foods.

keep the ham from spoiling

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 rot
Noun
Social media is both brain rot and a source of connection and information. Leah Asmelash, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025 Using satirical allegory, broad farce, horror and violence, the visionary Korean master has made a string of standout genre films that double as subversive takes on sociopolitical rot, from Memories of Murder to The Host, Snowpiercer to Parasite, frequently making a virtue of tonal whiplash. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
The piece was about the cycle of life—the apple would rot and eventually disintegrate. David Sheff, ARTnews.com, 24 Mar. 2025 The design is classic and functional, and it’s made from a weather-resistant and UV-resistant material that won’t rot, splinter, chip, or peel. Megan Schaltegger, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rot
Noun
  • The property also grows its own herbs, greens, nuts, berries, and edible flowers.
    Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Focus on whole foods like fruits, leafy green vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Over the next two decades, Boyer and Kochan were inseparable — even as Kochan’s cancer progressed and her health deteriorated.
    Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • And regardless of today’s numbers, the labor market could deteriorate very quickly amid Trump’s new tariffs, according to Yardeni Research.
    Josh Fellman, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.
    Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Sep. 2022
  • In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.
    The Physics arXiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2022
Noun
  • Mountains of garbage are said to be visible from space and people have complained of seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Apr. 2025
  • But also, increasingly, in marine food chains and immense garbage patches in the oceans.
    Nina Agrawal, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • When workers suspect the game is rigged in favor of the boss's nephew or the CEO's daughter, the belief that hard work leads to recognition—the backbone of productive workplaces—begins to crumble.
    Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The Wild, who are crumbling at the seams, fell to 1-4-2 in their past seven thanks to an 0-1-2 road trip.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The clippings quickly decompose, adding nutrients to the soil in the process.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Like the dog, their bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe's especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).
    CBS News, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • But when real users interact with it, the system collapses, generating nonsense or failing to handle inputs that deviate from the demo script.
    Albert Lie, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Slapping down Putin should mean something, but that pronouncement, like everything Trump utters, is undercut by him spouting nonsense, including about a third term, which his press secretary laughed off yesterday.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Eventually, those with ALS often experience trouble talking, walking, and swallowing, and the symptoms worsen over time.
    Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Rolling back rules will take time, but America’s air quality could worsen in the interim.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rot. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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