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• rot
  rot

  verb (used without object)

  to undergo decomposition; decay.
• ROT
  ROT

  rule of thumb.
• rot.
  rot.

  abbreviation

  rotating.

rot

¹ American  

[rot] / rɒt /

verb (used without object)

rotted, rotting

1. to undergo decomposition; decay.

   Synonyms:

   spoil, putrefy, molder, mold

2. to deteriorate, disintegrate, fall, or become weak due to decay (often followed by away, from, off, etc.).

3. to languish, as in confinement.

4. to become morally corrupt or offensive.

   Antonyms:

   purify

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verb (used with object)

rotted, rotting

1. to cause to rot.

   Dampness rots wood.

2. to cause moral decay in; cause to become morally corrupt.

   Antonyms:

   purify

3. to ret (flax, hemp, etc.).

noun

1. the process of rotting.

2. the state of being rotten; decay; putrefaction.

   the rot of an old house.

   Synonyms:

   mold, decomposition

3. rotting or rotten matter.

   the rot and waste of a swamp.

4. moral or social decay or corruption.

5. Pathology. any disease characterized by decay.

6. Plant Pathology.

   1. any of various forms of decay produced by fungi or bacteria.

   2. any disease so characterized.

7. Veterinary Pathology. a bacterial infection of sheep and cattle characterized by decay of the hoofs, caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum in cattle and Bacteroides nodosus in sheep.

8. nonsense.

interjection

1. (used to express disagreement, distaste, or disgust.)

ROT ² American  

1. rule of thumb.

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rot. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. rotating.

2. rotation.

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rot ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. rotation (of a mathematical function)

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rot ² British  

/ rɒt /

verb

1. to decay or cause to decay as a result of bacterial or fungal action

2. (intr; usually foll by off or away) to fall or crumble (off) or break (away), as from natural decay, corrosive action, or long use

3. (intr) to become weak, debilitated, or depressed through inertia, confinement, etc; languish

   rotting in prison

4. to become or cause to become morally corrupt or degenerate

5. (tr) textiles another word for ret

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noun

1. the process of rotting or the state of being rotten

2. something decomposed, disintegrated, or degenerate

3. short for dry rot

4. pathol any putrefactive decomposition of tissues

5. a condition in plants characterized by breakdown and decay of tissues, caused by bacteria, fungi, etc

6. vet science a contagious fungal disease of the feet of sheep characterized by inflammation, swelling, a foul-smelling discharge, and lameness

7. (also interjection) nonsense; rubbish

rot Scientific  

/ rŏt /

1. To undergo decomposition, especially organic decomposition; decay.

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1. Any of several plant diseases characterized by the breakdown of tissue and caused by various bacteria or fungi.

Synonym Usage

See decay.

Other Word Forms

• half-rotted
  adjective
• unrotted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rot

before 900; (v.) Middle English rot ( t ) en, Old English rotian, cognate with Frisian rotsje, Dutch rotten; (noun) Middle English, perhaps < Old Norse rot (perhaps partly derivative of the v.); cf. ret, rotten)

Explanation

To rot is to decompose, or break down into smaller parts. When old food at the back of your refrigerator rots, you should throw it away. Sometimes you can tell when something is beginning to rot because it smells bad. But the process that occurs when things rot is a natural one that you can see all around you as you walk through the woods or along the beach. Living organisms have to rot after they die, to make room for more organisms.

Example Sentences

Underneath the rot is an architecturally impressive skeleton, so people are free to focus on that.

From Salon • May 14, 2026

To his credit, Wu stopped the rot in the 23rd frame of the match - crafting an important break of 64 after Murphy left a red over the right corner.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

Holding one coach, or one company, to account will not eliminate the institutional rot plaguing women’s sports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Such is the extent of the rot that has set in at Spurs, this may not be enough.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Even if something was burned up or left to rot away, it did not disappear from the face of the earth; it changed into something else—gases, liquids, and powders.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• break down
• crumble
• decay
• decompose
• disintegrate
• languish
• molder
• perish
• spoil
• stain
• warp
• wither