rotten

1 of 2

adjective

rot·​ten ˈrä-tᵊn 

1

: having rotted : putrid

2

: morally corrupt

3

: extremely unpleasant or inferior

a rotten day

a rotten job

4

: very uncomfortable

feeling rotten

5

: of very poor quality : lousy, abominable

a rotten show

what rotten luck

rottenly adverb

rottenness

ˈrä-tᵊn-(n)əs 

noun

rotten

2 of 2

adverb

: to an extreme degree

spoiled rotten

Synonyms

Adjective

• addled
• bad
• corrupted
• decayed
• decomposed
• putrefied
• putrid
• spoiled

Examples of rotten in a Sentence

Adjective

They did a rotten job.

What rotten weather we're having.

Adverb

Those kids were spoiled rotten by their mother.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Hydrogen sulfide emissions – the rotten egg smell — have reached as far as Los Angeles and Orange County, making the Salton Sea an air quality issue for all of Southern California. —Silvia Paz, The Mercury News, 13 June 2024

As if women didn’t already have enough reason to fear men, the rise of the incel (involuntarily celibate) movement surely represents one of the most disheartening and dangerous subcultures to have sprung from the internet’s rotten skull. —Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 6 June 2024

Adverb

If underlings are afraid to question authority or the board lack independent voices, a corporate culture can soon turn rotten. —Chris Bryant | Bloomberg, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English roten, from Old Norse rotinn; akin to Old English rotian to rot

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1880, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rotten

• dirty/mean/rotten trick
• rotten borough
• rotten to the core
• spoiled rotten

Kids Definition

rotten

adjective

rot·​ten

ˈrät-ᵊn

1

: having rotted

2

: morally bad

3

: very unpleasant or worthless

did a rotten job

rottenly adverb

rottenness

-ᵊn-(n)əs

noun