rot
verb (used without object)
to undergo decomposition; decay.
were 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.
Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesman for the Taliban's economy ministry, said fruit and vegetables were rotting as they awaited export to Pakistan.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025
It was dry season so the water was low, fish were rotting with flies, and human feces and garbage were surfacing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2024
She had this feeling her teeth were rotting.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2023
Tomatoes he had bought weeks earlier were rotting in Ghana, pasta was stranded in Senegal and rice supplies would run out by the end of the month.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
Many had died in a cholera epidemic and they’d been buried in haste in wooden boxes and the boxes were rotting and falling open.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
