putrid
Americanadjective
-
in a state of foul decay or decomposition, as animal or vegetable matter; rotten.
-
of, relating to, or attended by putrefaction.
-
having the odor of decaying flesh.
- Synonyms:
- fetid
-
thoroughly corrupt, depraved, or evil.
- Synonyms:
- immoral
-
of very low quality; rotten.
adjective
-
(of organic matter) in a state of decomposition, usually giving off a foul smell
putrid meat
-
morally corrupt or worthless
-
sickening; foul
a putrid smell
-
informal deficient in quality or value
a putrid film
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of putrid
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin putridus rotten, equivalent to putr ( ēre ) to rot + -idus -id 4
Explanation
You know that science experiment that used to be lunch that is now rotting in the back of your fridge? Because it's decomposing and stinks to high heaven, you can call it putrid. The adjective putrid describes something that is rotting and has a foul odor, but it can also describe anything that is totally objectionable or exceptionally terrible. Something that is morally corrupt or evil can also be described with putrid: "That putrid politician took kickbacks for his vote and then used the money to buy fur coats made from the pelts of endangered leopards."
Vocabulary lists containing putrid
Inside Out & Back Again
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The Westing Game
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Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"
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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.
Wildfires ravaging the Indonesian part of Borneo island are choking communities as far away as Malaysia with putrid haze, testing the resources and resolve of those having to endure them.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Since the garden exhibited its first corpse flower in 1999, thousands of people flock to its conservatory every summer, just to smell these putrid plants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
"Noam. I d love your advice on how I handle my putrid press," Epstein wrote, adding that media coverage was "spiralling out of control".
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
But after a putrid start that has left them with only one win through nine weeks of the season, the Jets pivoted—and executed one of the most shocking deadline-day trades in history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
These small details spring out from the thickest brush and shadows, but the larger pieces stay crouched in hiding, and the largest piece of all lurks in the deepest, darkest cave, pacing and putrid.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
