as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
the dirty rotter tried every scam in the book to steal from the most vulnerable
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Recent Examples of rotter
As Beau, Brake is tall and gaunt, with burning eyes, a rotter who looks like Steve Buscemi crossed with David Byrne crossed with a human rattlesnake who’s a lifelong junkie.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 May 2024
Some experts say bed rotters are onto something, but there may be a right way to think about it.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 10 July 2023
So many directors have that cynical and alienated quality, the idea that everyone’s a rotter.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2021
This rich rotter’s story, needless to say, does not end well for him.
—Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2017
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 May 2024
Some experts say bed rotters are onto something, but there may be a right way to think about it.
—Byalexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 10 July 2023
So many directors have that cynical and alienated quality, the idea that everyone’s a rotter.
—Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2021
This rich rotter’s story, needless to say, does not end well for him.
—Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotter
Noun
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There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In recent years, Ed Sheeran slipped behind the counter, gamely slinging dogs and taking his fair share of abuse from the staff.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
-
During the day, McKinley Park is filled with activity, from dog walkers and joggers to families enjoying the outdoors.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After months bandying about the term joker to describe his team’s need for a matchup-threat pass-catcher, Sean Payton sat with the media at the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, last year and confirmed Denver had gotten its guy.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
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Students are required to bring two full decks of cards including the jokers.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Only about 30 percent of all nests evade their many predators, including skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, snakes, and even domestic dogs and cats.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
29 Apr. 2026
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That means don’t send your dog out to charge a skunk, and don’t go outside banging on pots and pans or yelling, which is only going to make the skunk feel threatened.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rotter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotter. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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