as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
the decomposed remains of an old tree trunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decayed
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 decomposed
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Inspectors also found a decomposed rat in the basement.
—Mamie Bah, CBS News, 15 May 2026
Inside was a decomposed head and torso.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
Questions about the singer’s connection to Hernandez’s grisly end have swirled since last summer, ever since her badly decomposed and dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to Burke.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Prosecutors previously presented photos of Chiodo’s badly decomposed body.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The badly decomposed remains of a woman were found Wednesday evening in a dumpster near an Oakland freeway offramp, authorities said.
—Harry Harris, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
D4vd has been charged with murder following his arrest last Thursday for the death of a teen girl whose decomposed body was found in the trunk of his Tesla.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Thatch is a naturally occurring layer of dead grass, rhizomes, leaves, and other non-decomposed organic materials.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Apr. 2026
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
Compost is decomposed organic matter, created when microorganisms break down plant materials, food scraps, leaves, manure, and other organic inputs.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026
There have been in-kind donations, and the city has contributed materials such as gravel and decomposed granite for walking paths.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Halleck adds coffee grounds need to be decomposed by microbes first to release nitrogen and other nutrients.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Her body was so badly decomposed; no DNA swab could be taken.
—Mary Murphy, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
The body was decomposed and dismembered.
—City News Service, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Her arms and legs had been cut off, and her body was significantly decomposed, according to the report.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Inspectors also found a decomposed rat in the basement.
—Mamie Bah, CBS News, 15 May 2026
Inside was a decomposed head and torso.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
Questions about the singer’s connection to Hernandez’s grisly end have swirled since last summer, ever since her badly decomposed and dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to Burke.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Prosecutors previously presented photos of Chiodo’s badly decomposed body.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
The badly decomposed remains of a woman were found Wednesday evening in a dumpster near an Oakland freeway offramp, authorities said.
—Harry Harris, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
D4vd has been charged with murder following his arrest last Thursday for the death of a teen girl whose decomposed body was found in the trunk of his Tesla.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Thatch is a naturally occurring layer of dead grass, rhizomes, leaves, and other non-decomposed organic materials.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Prosecutor Cheryl Galvin disagreed, saying that while the body had decomposed, the medical examiner was still able to conclude Chiodo died by homicide due to blunt force and sharp force injuries.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
Compost is decomposed organic matter, created when microorganisms break down plant materials, food scraps, leaves, manure, and other organic inputs.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026
There have been in-kind donations, and the city has contributed materials such as gravel and decomposed granite for walking paths.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Halleck adds coffee grounds need to be decomposed by microbes first to release nitrogen and other nutrients.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Her body was so badly decomposed; no DNA swab could be taken.
—Mary Murphy, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
The body was decomposed and dismembered.
—City News Service, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Her arms and legs had been cut off, and her body was significantly decomposed, according to the report.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decomposed
Adjective
-
Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs and ammonia gives off notes of urine, sweat or dead fish.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
Then there was the rotten-egg smell.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
But since sitting vacant, the property has decayed and listed in city property records as unoccupiable.—
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
-
And what with all the love and pain, something in me softened—or maybe decayed.—
Eva Wiseman,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a lawsuit filed against ICE last year, another former detainee said he was served spoiled milk.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
In her third season in the WNBA, the once-shining superstar is acting like a spoiled brat.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Any potential scoring opportunity in the fifth inning disintegrated after Dalton Rushing’s leadoff walk.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Blaine is disintegrated, while Sam is clearly changed.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Now the pages are yellowed; the rubber band rotted away years ago.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decomposed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decomposed. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
