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  

/ 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 ² British  

abbreviation

1. rotation (of a mathematical function)

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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.

Related Words

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.); 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

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

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

A publication that once stood for truth and justice, emboldening reporters like Bernstein and Woodward to uncover corruption, was now wantonly flaunting its own rot.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

But the discovery left him with a choice, he says: “I had the power and the muscle to either put it back into the vault and let it rot or do something with it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Instead, it has driven farmers from their land, left produce to rot at roadblocks and blocked food imports except those from its allies in neighboring Rwanda, according to local traders and activists.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” I said, pulling potato rot from my hair.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Related Words

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