rot
verb (used without object)
to undergo decomposition; decay.
was rotting
-
past progressiveof rot.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Some of it was necessary — our back deck was rotting away, roof damage etc., — and some of it was completely unnecessary.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2025
In untended fields, the cotton harvest was rotting.
From Reuters ● Nov. 16, 2023
If you didn’t know the source of the nauseating odor, you’d be convinced that a big cow had died and was rotting in your backyard.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2023
“For me, that was a great way in. Her heartache was rotting her heart and mind.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2023
In our last apartment, pre-Lenny, the countertop was rotting around the edges, so you’d realize halfway through washing dishes that water had been pooling downstream into the carpeting.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
