gangrenous

adjective

as in rotting

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gangrenous Patients arrived with gangrenous foot wounds that harried providers elsewhere brushed off as athlete’s foot. — Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026 Brian Gibson’s gangrenous bass riffs and gibbering, muffled vocals have even more gonzo energy than usual, while Chippendale mixes bombast and finesse with his customary flair. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026 Its namesake, cattleman Oliver Loving, was shot by a band of raiders during a cattle drive in 1866, and died of shock a few days later after a doctor didn’t amputate his gangrenous arm. — Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangrenous
  1. putrescent
  2. decaying
  3. putrid
  4. moldy
  5. decayed
  6. mildewy
  7. rotten
  8. putrefied
Adjective
  • This putrescent combination of sky-high home prices, rising mortgage rates and stifling consumer inflation have forced all but the wealthiest or most determined buyers out of a new home.
    — Q.ai - Powering a Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022
Definition of putrescent
Adjective
  • The district also could be in for other major changes in the coming years, including the opening of a few new schools to replace multiple decaying, underenrolled schools.
    — Scott Travis, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Definition of decaying
Adjective
  • Maria put on a mask against the putrid smell and lay down on the ground.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 29 June 2026
  • The problem has only grown in that time, which neighbors say has caused a rat problem and a putrid stench.
    — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Definition of putrid
Adjective
  • Besides creating the right environment for germs and bacteria to thrive, outdoor garbage cans can become moldy, attract scavenging wildlife and pests, and become overwhelmingly stinky.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
  • Depending on the tavern, the food could vary from moldy cheese, soup and corn cakes to more luxurious options.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 June 2026
Definition of moldy
Adjective
  • Discard any that look dead or decayed.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of decayed
Adjective
  • Does that musty, mildewy smell seem to get worse on warm days?
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
  • Storing towels in the bathroom can lead them to become mildewy or moldy, due to the high humidity.
    — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of mildewy
Adjective
  • But Reddick shouldn’t yet be counted out because his recent downturn is more due to rotten luck than substandard performance.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Unashamed about its unoriginality, the movie debuted in May last year to a 'rotten' rating by critics and audiences alike on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • Since some Indigenous tribes from the Arctic and subarctic are known to eat maggots from putrefied meat, the researchers considered maggots a potential factor driving those isotope spikes.
    — Jay Kakade December 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
Definition of putrefied

Browse Nearby Words

gangrene
gangrenous
gangs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gangrenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangrenous. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All