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
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
  • More than two months after authorities found dozens of decomposing bodies inside the South Chicago Chapel on the Far South Side, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office has identified all 55 people whose bodies were found inside the funeral home.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Over 50 decomposing bodies were discovered earlier in the month at the funeral home and cemetery.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 14 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
  • The bacteria comes from a variety of sources, including soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation and animals, according to the FDA.
    — Eva Flowe October 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Deer eating pumpkins can attract mountain lions to your yard, and raccoons feasting on rotting gourds can spread disease.
    — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 3 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
  • 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
  • The 110-floor south tower, struck shortly after the north tower by another plane, was disintegrating.
    — Diane Herbst, PEOPLE, 7 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

Browse Nearby Words

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 20 Oct. 2026.

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