as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
in the far corner of the walk-in refrigerator was a crate of cucumbers in an advanced stage of putrescence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 putrescence
In 19th-century cities, when waste disposal was a private matter and not yet a public responsibility, households lived close to their own putrescence.
—
Curbed,
12 Aug. 2022
There was no evidence to suggest the existence of four receptor classes, rather than three, or five, or ten; nor was there any serious reason to believe that acidity and goatiness—but not, say, florality or putrescence—were fundamentals of odor.
—
Scott Sayare,
Harper's Magazine,
23 Nov. 2021
In various states of putrescence—worms wriggling, entrails dangling—cadavers rise from their graves to join the Dance of Death.
—
Felipe Fernández-Armesto,
WSJ,
24 Apr. 2020
Curbed,
12 Aug. 2022
There was no evidence to suggest the existence of four receptor classes, rather than three, or five, or ten; nor was there any serious reason to believe that acidity and goatiness—but not, say, florality or putrescence—were fundamentals of odor.
—
Scott Sayare,
Harper's Magazine,
23 Nov. 2021
In various states of putrescence—worms wriggling, entrails dangling—cadavers rise from their graves to join the Dance of Death.
—
Felipe Fernández-Armesto,
WSJ,
24 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrescence
Noun
-
Authorities also found numerous dead animals in advanced stages of decomposition, including hundreds of chickens that investigators said had been discarded in bags and fed to the dogs, according to The Straits Times and The Standard.
-
Investigators also found additional remains in advanced stages of decomposition, the sheriff’s office said.
Noun
-
The aisles were so choked that blooms and branches brushed against us, the air heady with the scent of lilies, roses, eucalyptus, and sweet decay.
-
The physical properties of TRISO fuel and gas cooling allow the core to dissipate residual decay heat naturally.
Cite this Entry
“Putrescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrescence. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
