Standard Lemma guide

putrid

adj · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpjuː.tɹɪd/
  • General-American: /ˈpju.tɹəd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P Y UW1 T R IH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • putrid flesh; putrid matter; putrid meat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, relating to, or characteristic of putrefaction, especially having a bad smell, like that of rotting flesh.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • putrid smell; putrid odor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: malodorous

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Vile, disgusting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Morally corrupt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Totally objectionable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

of or relating to or attended by putrefaction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • putrid decomposition

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

morally corrupt or evil

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the putrid atmosphere of the court

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

in an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odor- Somerset Maugham

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • horrible like raw and putrid flesh

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *puH-der. Latin puter Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Italic *-ēō Latin -eō Latin putreō Proto-Indo-European *dheh1-der. Proto-Italic *-iðos Latin -idus Latin putridusder. Old French putridebor. ▲ Latin putridusbor. Middle English English putrid From Middle English, borrowed from Old French putride or directly from Latin putridus (“rotten, decayed”), from putreō (“to be rotten or putrid”), from puter (“rotten, decaying, putrid”).

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: гнил (gnil) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Bulgarian: разложен (razložen) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Catalan: pútrid — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 腐爛的 /腐烂的 (fǔlàn de) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 腐敗的 /腐败的 (fǔbài de) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Czech: shnilý — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Czech: hnijící — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Czech: zkažený — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Dutch: verderfelijk — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Dutch: rottend — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Finnish: mätä — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • French: putride — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • German: verfault — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • German: verdorben — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • German: übelriechend — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • German: faulig — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • German: aasig — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Gothic: 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐍃 (fuls) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Greek: σάπιος (sápios) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Ancient Greek: σαπρός (saprós) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Hungarian: rothadt — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Hungarian: rothadó — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Ido: putranta — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Ido: putrinta — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Italian: putrido — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Japanese: 腐敗した (fuhai shita) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Latin: puter — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Macedonian: гнил (gnil) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Macedonian: ра́спаднат (ráspadnat) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Māori: ero — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Māori: piro — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Māori: kerakera — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Māori: pīhonga — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Māori: pirau — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Māori: kōhangohango — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Occitan: poirit — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Plautdietsch: ful — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Polish: zgniły — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Portuguese: pútrido — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Romanian: putred — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Russian: гнию́щий (gnijúščij) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Russian: гнило́й (gnilój) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Spanish: putrefacto — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Spanish: pútrido — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Spanish: podrido — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Thai: เน่าเหม็น — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Ukrainian: гнили́й (hnylýj) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction
  • Yiddish: פֿױל (foyl) — rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction