PUTRESCENCE Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

putrescence

noun

pyü-ˈtre-sᵊn(t)s

Definition of putrescence

as in decomposition

the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances in the far corner of the walk-in refrigerator was a crate of cucumbers in an advanced stage of putrescence

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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 putrescence In 19th-century cities, when waste disposal was a private matter and not yet a public responsibility, households lived close to their own putrescence. — Curbed, 12 Aug. 2022 There was no evidence to suggest the existence of four receptor classes, rather than three, or five, or ten; nor was there any serious reason to believe that acidity and goatiness—but not, say, florality or putrescence—were fundamentals of odor. — Scott Sayare, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 In various states of putrescence—worms wriggling, entrails dangling—cadavers rise from their graves to join the Dance of Death. — Felipe Fernández-Armesto, WSJ, 24 Apr. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrescence

Noun

According to the medical examiner's office, the bodies were improperly stored at the funeral home and were in various states of decomposition at the time.

— Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Investigators and forensic pathologists who responded found remains in various states of decomposition.

— Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of decomposition

Noun

By tracking these positrons, researchers could determine their vertical decay angles and search for the tiny signal expected from an EDM.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Many lines of research align with the theory that aging is a direct result of decay — the inevitable degradation of molecules (including proteins or DNA), organelles, cells, or whole organs — from external assault or inexorable breakdown.

— Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of decay

Browse Nearby Words

putrefying

putrescence

putrescent

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“Putrescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrescence. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of putrescence

noun

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