decompose
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to break down (organic matter) or (of organic matter) to be broken down physically and chemically by bacterial or fungal action; rot
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chem to break down or cause to break down into simpler chemical compounds
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to break up or separate into constituent parts
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(tr) maths to express in terms of a number of independent simpler components, as a set as a canonical union of disjoint subsets, or a vector into orthogonal components
Synonym Usage
See decay.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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decomposesimple
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decomposessimple
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have decomposedperfect
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has decomposedperfect
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am decomposingprogressive
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are decomposingprogressive
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is decomposingprogressive
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have been decomposingperfect progressive
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has been decomposingperfect progressive
Past
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decomposedsimple
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had decomposedperfect
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was decomposingprogressive
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were decomposingprogressive
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had been decomposingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of decompose
1745–55; < French décomposer, equivalent to dé- dis- 1 + composer to compose
Explanation
The verb decompose means to break down or decay, like tree leaves that decompose into dirt, or cell phone batteries that decompose, resulting in more frequent charging for the user. You know that the prefix de- means "remove" or "undo." And something that's composed is made up of parts. So to decompose is to undo all the parts until they go back to their original state: dirt. Living things decompose. When things like buildings or organizations break down, you typically use words like dismantle or deconstruct to describe the process.
Vocabulary lists containing decompose
"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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Can You Dig It? Words for Dirt and Soil
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"Living in the Dark," Vocabulary from the science article
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In November 2019, soil engineer Tim Neiligan, a former FBI chemist, began researching how bodies decompose in soil.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
Whitehouse says insects' role in the ecosystem includes pollinating crops, controlling pests, decompose waste and recycling nutrients.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
Despite recycling efforts, most plastic ends up in landfills where it can take centuries to decompose, leaching out chemicals during that time, Deeney said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
His latest invention, GraveTech, gives people the opportunity to say hello to their loved ones as they decompose six feet underground, at the touch of a button.
From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2025
In other words, there are parts of the whole dining-out experience that we can decompose and outsource.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
The whale has gained in size in recent days because of a build-up of gas as the carcass decomposes, and some islanders are worried it may explode.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
Fires that start below the surface often begin spontaneously, as organic matter decomposes and creates heat, fueled by oxygen that sneaks in through the cracks.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Similar to oil drill sites, landfills have an extensive network of underground wells that are used to extract gases produced as buried waste decomposes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
The idea was to reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills, where it emits greenhouse gases as it decomposes, a major factor contributing to climate change.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2025
“It’s just a case of remembering that oxalic acid on heating decomposes into carbon dioxide, water, and good old carbon monoxide. College chem, you know.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Park on the west end of the parking lot to access the decomposed granite path leading to the 1.17-acre habitat garden.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
Arcuri said this approach “shifts performance discussions away from standalone GPU generations and toward how workloads are decomposed, orchestrated and scaled across the full system.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 15, 2026
In regions such as the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin, and the wetlands of Southeast Asia, thick layers of partially decomposed plant material build up over time.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 24, 2026
On Dec. 6, a couple discovered Melodee’s decomposed body along a remote stretch of State Route 24 near Caineville, Utah.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2025
“You have an instant fatality that leaves no marks on the skeletal remains. Unfortunately, the soft tissues that would show us what happened have decomposed in the past hundred years.”
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife Department also warned that decomposing fish could create health risks for people attempting to fish or boat in the area.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026
Three years ago, Nelligan and his colleagues, working from the backyard of a neighbor of Susan Flores, used soil vapor sampling to detect volatile organic compounds they say may be associated with decomposing human remains.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Instead of fully decomposing, plant material builds up layer upon layer over thousands of years, forming deep deposits of peat that lock away carbon for the long term.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2026
The air was thick with the stench of a decomposing dog, left out to rot with no residents around to remove it.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 2025
That the train would sit there slowly decomposing for all eternity and that no train would ever run again.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
