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⇱ rotten - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


rotten

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈrɒtən/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈrɑtən/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(rotn)

Inflections of 'rotten' (adj):
rottener
adj comparative
rottenest
adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rot•ten /ˈrɑtən/USA pronunciation   adj., -er, -est. 
  1. spoiled, as from decay;
    putrid:rotten eggs.
  2. evil or morally wrong;
    corrupt:Something is rotten in City Hall.
  3. unsatisfactory;
    miserable:a rotten day for walking.
  4. worthy of contempt;
    despicable:a nasty, rotten trick.
rot•ten•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
rot•ten  (rotn),USA pronunciation adj., -er, -est. 
  1. decomposing or decaying;
    putrid;
    tainted, foul, or bad-smelling.
  2. corrupt or morally offensive.
  3. wretchedly bad, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory;
    miserable:a rotten piece of work; a rotten day at the office.
  4. contemptible;
    despicable:a rotten little liar; a rotten trick.
  5. Geology(of soil, rocks, etc.) soft, yielding, or friable as the result of decomposition.
  6. British Terms[Australian Slang.]drunk.
  • Old Norse rotinn, past participle of an unrecorded verb meaning "to rot''
  • Middle English roten 1175–1225
rotten•ly, adv. 
rotten•ness, n. 
    1. fetid, rank. 2. immoral. 4. disgusting, unwholesome; treacherous.
    1. sound. 2. moral.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rotten /ˈrɒtən/ adj
  1. affected with rot; decomposing, decaying, or putrid
  2. breaking up, esp through age or hard use; disintegrating: rotten ironwork
  3. morally despicable or corrupt
  4. untrustworthy, disloyal, or treacherous
  5. informal unpleasant, unfortunate, or nasty: rotten luck, rotten weather
  6. informal unsatisfactory or poor: rotten workmanship
  7. informal miserably unwell
  8. informal distressed, uncomfortable, and embarrassed: I felt rotten when I told him to go
adv informal
  1. extremely; very much: I fancy her rotten
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old Norse rottin; related to Old English rotian to rot1ˈrottenly adv ˈrottenness n
'rotten' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: a rotten [apple, avocado, tomato], rotten [fruit, ingredients, food, vegetables, meat], these [apples] [are, have gone] rotten, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "rotten" in the title:

'Rotten.'
a measure rotten at the core may be expedient
a pear - juicy, sweet, ripe, hard, soft, rotten, wormy, dried, big, small
a rotten seed has been planted
a rotten-green roadflare
An adjective for "can be rotten"
Beause I was hungry, I ate the apple, although rotten.
Can't we say "Milk is rotten"?
cleft of a rotten tree
contorting something rotten
damaged/spoiled/rotten child
decayed/decaying - rotten/rotting
decayed/rotten
Expired vs. rotten vs. go bad
glory in our spite, and strip the rotten old show
he fancies rotten
he had a rotten Christmas
head is broken like a rotten sweet potato
I love her rotten
I will esteem but straw and rotten wood.’
If you meet a bear <?> crossing a rotten bridge
in rotten relations with
keep your rotten job
Last one to the corral's a rotten cowpoke.
milk - stale or rotten
milk is rotten
my wallet is a dirty and rotten scoundrel
nix on the rotten [ixnay on the ottenray]
People behave backwards means they behave in a rotten manner?
rotted vs rotten
more...

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