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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 These can cause your poop to smell like rotten eggs.12 Food intolerances, like lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity can also cause smelly poop. Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 14 Apr. 2025 Then, the rotten cherry on top: my lightweight pack, overburdened with water and ill-equipped for the task, created a patch of chafe that eventually bloomed into an open wound. Shawnté Salabert, Outside Online, 28 Mar. 2025 What rotten fortune all around, the best college player in the country – and the coolest – being ousted not by an upset but by injury. Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2025 How does this not end up with boots smelling like rotten eggs? Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rotten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotten
Adjective
  • Rakshasa’s evil beast fits thematically with the park’s nearby 1976 Demon looping coaster.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
  • Evans gives an oversized comedic performance as the church’s charming but evil minister.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • Best Smelling Photograph: Kristin Canning Grand Tongo Green Tea + Mint Insect Repellent $15 Amazon After testing nearly 20 different bug sprays (that pretty much all smelled at least a little unpleasant and chemical-y), this picaridin spray from Grand Tongo truly blew me away.
    Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
  • Today after dropping off groceries, my wife noted that the refrigerator, in her opinion, had an unpleasant odor.
    Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • There’s no doubt that Lewis, abandoned as a baby by his parents, has done some horrible stuff.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2025
  • What happened to Simone as a child is horrible, and in her brain, she is therefore absolved of having anything to do with her father.
    Lauren Coates, Variety, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.
    Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Researchers also noted the chatbot engaging in other potentially disturbing—though not necessarily immoral—behavior.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 24 May 2025
  • Suggesting that being out of work is immoral, as opposed to the conditions that contribute to people’s ability to work and live, might be a more appropriate source of anxiety.
    Lauren Coulman, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • But, are seed oils worse than saturated animal fats?
    Marianne Krasny, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Men and women respond to the Nazi dictatorship by becoming, at best, evasive and feebly self-justifying, at worst, morally broken.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce.
    Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
  • Djokovic knew he’d be seeded to play one of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and in the end landed Zverev, which isn’t a terrible outcome, but would leave him with a possible Sinner-Alcaraz double bill in the semifinals and final to lift the trophy.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Three or four people to one cabin was far cheaper than the same number of people booking three or four plane tickets to get to Spain.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Once delivered, framing and panel assembly are faster and cheaper than conventional builds—cutting structural build time by 40% and labor costs by 20%.
    Jennifer Castenson, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rotten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotten. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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