putrefying 1 of 2

adjective

as in rotting

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putrefying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of putrefy
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 putrefying
Verb
Repeating the experiment with other plants, including tomatoes and wheat, yielded similar results—but an encounter with putrefying animal tissues had no effect. — Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026 East of Eden is a tome obsessed with guilt, sin, ambition, race, the land as healing and capitalism as putrefying, the nature of fate and the question of free will, and the role money and inheritance play in either our corruption or our cleansing. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Because lose-lose situations are so endemic to the genre, a hint of relief can sometimes accompany the prospect of surrender to the putrefying mob. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefying
  1. putrescent
  2. decomposing
  3. decaying
  4. rotting
  5. moldy
  6. disintegrating
  7. corroded
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
Verb
  • In this case, the researchers focused its attention on acetic acid – the source of the sour, vinegar-like smell coming from decomposing garbage.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The first responding officer opened one of the suitcases and discovered a woman's decomposing body -- naked, bound with rope and in a fetal position.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of decomposing
Adjective
  • Liberal critics, however, argued—also rightly—that the Soviet Union was a decaying, economically crippled giant by the time Reagan was inaugurated.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Rifkin recounted how an ordinary Saturday of shopping ended with Sierra leaving Machado, Julia and Daniela rotting in a closet and being eaten by insects.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers grew the common research plant Arabidopsis thaliana in containers, some of which were dotted with patches of rotting apple.
    — Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotting
Adjective
  • While top-loading machines don’t have as many problems with moldy door seals, letting the drum dry when the machine is not in use is still a good idea.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Once one slice is moldy, the rest of the loaf, and potentially anything nearby, is exposed.
    — Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of moldy
Verb
  • Particles of disintegrating kelp drifted downward like falling leaves.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of disintegrating
Adjective
  • The corroded terminal, the location, 30 seconds of video of the noise, the hypothesis that was ruled out.
    — Julien Vantyghem, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And no amount of paint can fix an unstable, corroded piece of furniture.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of corroded

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putrefy
putrefying
putrescence
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Cite this Entry

“Putrefying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefying. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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