rotten

[rot-n]

adjective

rottener, rottenest 

1. decomposing or decaying; putrid; tainted, foul, or bad-smelling.

   Synonyms: rank, fetid
   Antonyms: sound

2. corrupt or morally offensive.

   Synonyms: immoral
   Antonyms: moral

3. wretchedly bad, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory; miserable.

   a rotten piece of work; a rotten day at the office.

4. contemptible; despicable.

   a rotten little liar; a rotten trick.

   Synonyms: treacherous, unwholesome, disgusting

5. (of soil, rocks, etc.) soft, yielding, or friable as the result of decomposition.

6. Australian Slang.,  drunk.

rotten

/ ˈrɒtən /

adjective

1. affected with rot; decomposing, decaying, or putrid

2. breaking up, esp through age or hard use; disintegrating

   rotten ironwork

3. morally despicable or corrupt

4. untrustworthy, disloyal, or treacherous

5. informal,  unpleasant, unfortunate, or nasty

   rotten luck

   rotten weather

6. informal,  unsatisfactory or poor

   rotten workmanship

7. informal,  miserably unwell

8. informal,  distressed, uncomfortable, and embarrassed

   I felt rotten when I told him to go

9. (of rocks, soils, etc) soft and crumbling, esp as a result of weathering

10. slang,  intoxicated; drunk

adverb

1. extremely; very much

   men fancy her rotten

Other Word Forms

• rottenly adverb
• rottenness noun
• half-rotten adjective
• unrotten adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rotten¹

1175–1225; Middle English roten < Old Norse rotinn, past participle of an unrecorded verb meaning “to rot”

Word History and Origins

Origin of rotten¹

C13: from Old Norse rottin ; related to Old English rotian to _rot ¹

Example Sentences

“My children are all decent people. I don’t have one rotten one, and I would like to think that they got some of that from me.”

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Here, the Russian conscripts are either mean but brave or they just have rotten luck.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In this case, it’s a subplot about despondent self-deporting animals who resolve to flee Oz because their home has become hostile to their kind: “We can’t stay here. It’s become rotten,” says a bear.

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The odor of rotten flesh clouds my nostrils.

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She followed the woman’s gaze to the rotten potato in her own hand.

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Related Words

• corrupt 
• disgusting 
• moldy 
• noxious 
• overripe 
• putrid 
• rancid 
• rotting www.thesaurus.com
• sour 
• spoiled 
• stale