rot.
To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.
Meaning & usage
To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.
The apple left in the cupboard all that time had started to rot.
To decline in function or utility.
Your brain will rot if you spend so much time on the computer, Tony!
To (cause to) deteriorate in any way, as in morals; to corrupt.
To make putrid; to cause to be wholly or partially decomposed by natural processes.
to rot vegetable fiber
To spend a long period of time (in an unpleasant place or state).
to rot in prison
to rot in Hell
To expose, as flax, to a process of maceration, etc., for the purpose of separating the fiber; to ret.
To talk nonsense.
Damn; blast.
Where this word comes from
Inherited from Middle English roten, rotten, from Old English rotian (“to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy”), from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”).
The process of becoming rotten; putrefaction.
Decaying matter.
Any of several diseases in which breakdown of tissue occurs.
Verbal nonsense.
You're talking rot! I don't believe a word.
Where this word comes from
Inherited from Middle English roten, rotten, from Old English rotian (“to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy”), from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.