ROTTEN Synonyms: 393 Similar and Opposite Words

rotten

adjective

ˈrä-tᵊn

Definition of rotten

as in spoiled

having undergone organic breakdown rotten, smelly meat that should have been thrown out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in evil

not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable played a rotten trick and then lied about it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unpleasant

not giving pleasure to the mind or senses had a rotten time while on vacation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in terrible

extremely unsatisfactory rotten housing conditions that no one should be forced to tolerate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in poor

of low quality I can't do anything with these rotten tools

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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 The meeting comes after Lineage Logistics, which operates the 500,000-square-foot facility, has already been cited by AQMD officials for the rotten odor. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 The smell of rotten eggs permeates communities where large piles of decaying sargassum emit ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 The rotten culture that is seeping ever deeper into football was exemplified by the announcement that one of the game’s most successful referees had retired. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Eventually, the plant can’t absorb enough water through its rotten roots to survive. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rotten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten

Adjective

Grocery stores can use the 2D codes to remove about-to-expire food and lock out spoiled items from getting rung up at checkout.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Lineage, meanwhile, said it's removed 93% of the more than 80 million pounds of spoiled food from the facility.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of spoiled

Adjective

She’d been told that people outside her faith were evil, and yet her pastor’s wife had turned her away while these scientists were literally bending over to help her.

— Felice J. Freyer, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
Still, there is much old-school horror fun to be had here, with costume designer Liz Keogh Palmer and the team of makeup artists especially deserving of credit with their mind-blowing work on various evil spirits.

— Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of evil

Adjective

On the other lies a park in one of the Bronx’s poorest communities, built on the site of the former Yankee Stadium after the old home of the Yankees was torn down in 2009 and 2010.

— Sam Blum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Iran’s economy was in a dire state before the war too, with poor economic conditions a key driving factor behind the anti-regime demonstrations which kicked off in the Iranian capital city Tehran in 2025.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Rossi treated the paint surface, meanwhile, by removing oxidized varnish, decayed retouching, and incoherent integrations and additions, allowing viewers to appreciate the luminosity of Fra Angelico’s palette and the precision of his gilding.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Discard any that look dead or decayed.

— Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026

Definition of decayed

Adjective

When Russians embrace the Eurasian narrative, they are also engaged in the political project of rejecting Europe and the West, which Putin and his allies deride as decadent, declining, and immoral.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
In the realms of art, literature, film, and television, words and images that would once have been considered indecent, offensive, or immoral are now commonplace, especially in the West.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of immoral

Adjective

Neighbors said the rotten-egg smell has gotten worse over the last couple of weeks, even trailing to apartments across the street.

— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
For Panama, the result is a wet season that’s already been drier than usual and is likely to get worse.

— Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of bad

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rotted

rotten

rottenly

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“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rotten

adjective

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