rot

The word "rot" is used when something organic (alive) begins the process of decay. It’s similar to the word "spoil." When "rot" a verb, it looks like this:

• Apples rot quickly when they fall from a tree.
• When food rots, you have to throw it away.
• Meat will rot if you don’t keep it refrigerated or frozen.
• We watered the plant too often and the roots rotted.
• Matt’s teeth are rotting because he doesn’t brush them regularly.
• When wood begins to rot, it becomes an attractive home for insects.

Your teeth will rot if you don’t take care of them.

You can also use "rot" as a noun:

• There’s some rot on this apple.
• Signs of rot on the outside of a wooden house should be addressed immediately.
• The green rot on old bread is called mold.

As an adjective, you can use "rotten," "rotted," or "rotting."

• When meat becomes rotten it really stinks.
• There’s nothing worse than the smell of rotting meat.
• Rotted banana peels outside the house indicate the owners don’t clean up after themselves.
• That was a really rotten thing that he did to his girlfriend. (Behavior is often described as "rotten" if it’s really bad.)
• This is a rotten situation. (It’s a bad situation.)

Now try this quick quiz:

 

The answers are below.

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Answers:
1. rotten; 2. rot; 3. rotten; 4. rot; 5.
rotting

This page was first published on May 17, 2012. It was updated on January 21, 2016.