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as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable played a rotten trick and then lied about it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 rotten There is something rotten about it, and its been that way for a large sample size now. Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025 Summary Flatulence that smells like rotten eggs is common and is caused by eating foods containing sulfur. Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 15 Jan. 2025 If the furnace is producing a rotten egg smell, do not try to locate the leak yourself. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2025 How has anyone from the notoriously rotten gang at Paddy’s made someone better? Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rotten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten
Adjective
  • Ben Stiller even makes a brief cameo as the evil nursing home orderly, Hal.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The children were not killed by an Israeli rocket attack, as Hamas claimed, but brutally murdered by evil terrorists.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • That leads to the second point: automating boring tasks, or delegating unpleasant things to the AI itself.
    John Werner, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Seed oils are typically made by pressing or crushing the seeds and then processing them further with chemicals and heat to remove elements that can leave the oil cloudy or with an unpleasant taste or odor.
    Jonel Aleccia, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The tech giant had a horrible week, off nearly 11% in the period despite Friday’s relief bounce.
    Pia Singh, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025
  • This is really happening and these horrible things are happening and that this person doesn't want to be happening.
    Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But there is another concerning trend and area that has to be improved — their poor record on second balls.
    Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Without a clear profit strategy, high sales numbers can mask underlying issues like bloated expenses, poor cash flow, or razor-thin margins.
    Melissa Houston, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • And so Rose, immortal on the field, with a bat, was judged immoral off it by the saints who guard baseball’s gate.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The campaign materials were unequivocal: Worley believed LGBT influences in society were immoral.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Jayson Tatum kept the Celtics in the game most of the night with 33 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, but Brown had one of his worst games of the year with just 10 points.
    Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The market, however, believes the opposite: That a trade war is bad, is easy to lose, and could plunge the U.S. into an avoidable recession.
    Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The New York Yankees received terrible news on Monday regarding Gerrit Cole's injury.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Other adults in the room opt to avert their eyes as Jamie disrobes, but Eddie can’t turn away, out of a mix of protectiveness and horrified shock, in the same way that there’s no editor to protect the characters, the actors, or the audience from having to live in each terrible moment of the scene.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Read: The cost of avoiding microplastics In the mid-1990s, China emerged as the principal destination for used cups, straws, and the like; the country’s growing manufacturing sector was eager to make use of cheap, recycled raw plastic.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Seeds are also cheaper than purchasing young plants.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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