rot
gb/ɹˈɑt/ us/ɹˈɑt/
B1
English
~ 9300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
event
1
Decay or decompose naturally
To slowly break down and go bad, like old food, wood, or a dead animal.
Usage pattern:
[something] rots
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the food became rot"* instead of *"the food rotted"*. Use the verb form *rot/rotted* for the action, and the noun *rot* for the thing or state, as in *"There was rot in the wood."*
Synonyms
decay (Slightly more formal and scientific; often used for both physical and moral decline.)
Antonyms
preserve (Means to keep something from decaying or going bad.)
Collocations
food rots
|fruit rots
|wood rots
|teeth rot
|the body rots
|garbage rots
Themes
nature
|science
|food
|health
Examples
- If you leave the strawberries out on the counter, they will rot within a few days.
- The wooden beams had rotted after years of exposure to rain.
- A bad smell told us that something was rotting under the floorboards.
- Without proper dental care, your teeth can rot over time.
Learner examples
- The apples are old and starting to rot.
- The tree trunk rotted after many wet winters.
- Meat rots quickly if it is not kept cold.
- They found a bird that had rotted in the hot sun.
Verb
B2
action
2
Make something decay or decompose
To make something slowly break down and go bad.
Usage pattern:
to rot [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may use *"destroy"* instead of *"rot"* for slow damage from moisture or time. Use *rot* when the breaking down is slow and often natural, especially with wood, fabric, or food.
Synonyms
decompose (More technical; often used in scientific contexts about materials or waste.)
Antonyms
protect (Focuses on preventing damage or decay from happening.)
Collocations
moisture rots wood
|damp rots the floorboards
|standing water rots the foundation
|rain rotted the fence
|the humidity rotted the books
Themes
nature
|construction
|daily_life
|science
Examples
- Constant leaks had rotted the wooden floor under the sink.
- The salty air slowly rots the metal on seaside houses.
- Leaving wet leaves on the grass can rot the lawn.
- The infection had rotted the tissue around the wound.
Learner examples
- Water can rot the wood of a house.
- The rain rotted their old tent.
- Bad teeth can rot the bone in your jaw.
- Moist air rots the clothes in the closet.
Verb
B2
state
3
Waste away in bad conditions
To stay in a bad place or situation for a long time and slowly become worse.
Usage pattern:
to rot in [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes take this sense too literally and use it for any kind of staying, e.g. *"I will rot at home tonight"* when they just mean *stay at home*. Use *rot* here only when you want to stress that the situation is bad and slowly harming someone.
Synonyms
languish (More formal; emphasizes suffering and lack of progress in a bad situation.)
Antonyms
thrive (Suggests being active, healthy, and doing very well instead of slowly getting worse.)
Collocations
rot in jail
|rot in prison
|rot in hell
|rot at home
|mind rots
|brain is rotting
Themes
crime
|emotions
|society
|health
Examples
- He spent ten years rotting in prison for a crime he did not commit.
- I feel like my brain is rotting from watching so much mindless television.
- They left the old man to rot in a care home, rarely visiting him.
- She refused to rot away in a dead-end job and finally quit.
Learner examples
- He does nothing all day and just rots in front of the TV.
- The prisoners rot in small, dirty cells.
- I don’t want to rot in this office all my life.
- She said, "Let him rot in jail for what he did."
Noun
B2
event
4
State or process of decomposition
The condition of something that is decaying or has decayed, like soft, damaged, or bad-smelling parts.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"a rot"* for this sense. Usually *rot* is uncountable: *"There is rot in the wood"*, not *"There is a rot in the wood."*
Synonyms
decay (Very close in meaning; a bit more formal and common in scientific or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
soundness (Used especially for wood or structures that are solid and not damaged by rot.)
Collocations
signs of rot
|wood rot
|to prevent rot
|to remove rot
|soft with rot
|smell of rot
Themes
nature
|construction
|health
|science
Examples
- There was serious rot in the wooden window frames.
- The inspector found rot in the roof beams and recommended immediate repairs.
- The sweet smell of rot hung in the abandoned house.
- We had to cut away the rot before repainting the door.
Learner examples
- The wood has rot in the middle.
- We must fix the rot before the house falls down.
- He cleaned the rot from the old fruit box.
- The doctor saw rot in the dead tissue.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
5
Nonsense; something foolish or untrue
Stupid or untrue ideas or words; nonsense.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this noun with the verb and say *"He is rotting"* when they mean *"He is talking rot"*. Use the noun *rot* after verbs like *talk*, *believe*, or *be* when you mean *nonsense*.
Synonyms
nonsense (The most common neutral word; *rot* is more informal and often BrE.)
Antonyms
truth (Direct opposite when *rot* is used for ideas that are not true.)
Collocations
a load of rot
|utter rot
|complete rot
|talk rot
|believe that rot
|filled with rot
Themes
language
|opinions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- What a load of rot! You know that story isn’t true.
- His article is absolute rot from beginning to end.
- Don’t talk such rot; you know you can pass the exam if you try.
- She dismissed the rumors as pure rot.
Learner examples
- That idea is complete rot.
- He talks rot when he is angry.
- She said the report was a load of rot.
- I don’t believe that rot about him being a hero.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
Plant or wood decay disease
A problem in plants or wood where part of it becomes soft and breaks down because of disease.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that *rot* here names a specific disease, not just general damage. In gardening or building texts, *rot* often refers to a particular diagnosed problem, like *root rot* or *dry rot*.
Synonyms
blight (A general word for plant diseases; not all blight is rot, but both damage plants.)
Antonyms
healthy growth (Describes plants or wood without disease or decay.)
Collocations
root rot
|stem rot
|crown rot
|brown rot
|potato rot
|dry rot
Themes
science
|agriculture
|construction
|nature
Examples
- Overwatering can lead to root rot in houseplants.
- The farmer lost much of the crop to a type of stem rot.
- An expert confirmed that the beams were damaged by dry rot.
- The apples showed signs of brown rot after the wet summer.
Learner examples
- The plant died because of root rot.
- We must cut away the rot from the tree.
- Dry rot can make a house unsafe.
- They treated the wood to stop rot.
Verb
literary
C1
action
7
Corrupt or weaken from within
To slowly make something, like a system or a person’s character, bad or weak from the inside.
Usage pattern:
[something] rots [something] from the inside
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *rot* literally in contexts where a metaphor is expected, or choose *spoil* instead. *Rot* here is quite strong and literary, often talking about corruption in society, politics, or character.
Synonyms
corrupt (Focuses on making someone or something morally bad; *rot* is more vivid and metaphorical.)
Antonyms
strengthen (Describes making a system or character stronger instead of weakening it.)
Collocations
rot from within
|rot from the inside
|corruption rots the system
|greed rots society
|moral values rot
|a culture rotted by fear
Themes
society
|politics
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They warned that unchecked corruption would rot the country from within.
- Fear and distrust had slowly rotted the team’s spirit.
- The novel shows how power can rot even the kindest person.
- A sense of hopelessness seemed to rot the community over the years.
Learner examples
- Corruption can rot a country from the inside.
- Lies slowly rot a relationship.
- Greed can rot a good company.
- Hatred will rot your heart if you keep it.
interjection
archaic
C2
action
8
Exclamation meaning “nonsense!”
An old-fashioned shout used to say that something is nonsense.
Common mistake:
This use is old-fashioned and mainly seen in older British books. Learners sometimes try to use it in modern speech, where it can sound strange or humorous. In current English, people usually say *“Nonsense!”* or *“That’s rubbish!”* instead.
Synonyms
nonsense (Used as an exclamation with similar meaning; more common in modern English.)
Antonyms
exactly (As an exclamation, it agrees strongly instead of rejecting what was said.)
Collocations
Rot, I don’t believe it!
|Oh, rot!
|Rot to that idea
Themes
language
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- “You’ll never manage it,” he said. “Rot,” she answered, “I’ll be fine.”
- “He did it for love.” “Rot! He did it for the money.”
- “Rot,” he muttered, unwilling to listen to another excuse.
Learner examples
- “Rot,” she said, “that story is not true.”
- He shouted, “Rot! I don’t believe you.”
- “Rot,” the old man replied, “you are just lazy.”
Grammar
Dictionary form
rot
IPA
GB/ɹˈɑt/
US/ɹˈɑt/
Syllables & stress
rot (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rot
- Plural: rot, rots
Verb
- Base: rot
- 3rd Person Singular: rots
- Present Participle: rotting
- Past: rotted
Word family
Forms
rots
noun
rotting
verb
rotted
verb
Core family
rotten
adjective A2
Related words
rottenness
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: rotting Verb
- Irregular past: rotted Verb
Expressions
a load of rot
11/ə lˈoʊd əv ɹˈɑt/
fixed phrase
informal
A lot of nonsense
Used to say that something is complete nonsense and not worth believing.
Examples
- That article is a load of rot; don’t believe a word of it.
- What he said about quitting school being smart is a load of rot.
dry rot
2/dɹˈaɪ ɹˈɑt/
fixed phrase
technical
Fungal decay of dry wood
A serious problem where a fungus destroys dry wood, often in buildings.
Examples
- The survey showed extensive dry rot in the floorboards.
- They had to replace the whole staircase because of dry rot.
rot away
1/ɹˈɑt əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
Decay until almost gone
To slowly decay until most or all of something is gone.
Examples
- The old pier has rotted away and is now just a few posts in the water.
- If you leave that car in the field, it will simply rot away.
rot in hell
7/ɹˈɑt ˈɪn hˈɛl/
fixed phrase
vulgar
Curse wishing eternal suffering
A very strong and rude way to say that you hope someone suffers forever, especially after death.
Examples
- “I hope you rot in hell,” she shouted as he was taken away.
- The message simply said, “Rot in hell for what you did.”
rot off
4/ɹˈɑt ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Break off due to decay
To break away from something because the material has decayed.
Examples
- The bottom of the door had rotted off after years of getting wet.
- Several branches had rotted off in the storm.
stop the rot
8/stˈɑp ðə ɹˈɑt/
idiom
Stop a situation getting worse
To take action so that a bad situation does not continue or become even worse.
Examples
- The company needs a new strategy to stop the rot after three years of losses.
- A quick goal after half-time helped stop the rot for the home team.
talk rot
10/tˈɔk ɹˈɑt/
fixed phrase
informal
Say foolish or untrue things
To say things that are foolish, not true, or not sensible.
Examples
- You’re talking rot if you think this plan will work.
- He always talks rot when he’s drunk.
the rot sets in
9/ðə ɹˈɑt sˈɛts ˈɪn/
idiom
Point when decline begins
Used when a situation starts to become bad and then usually continues to get worse.
Examples
- The team lost one game and then the rot set in; they didn’t win again all season.
- This is where the rot sets in, if we don’t deal with the problem now.
wet rot
3/wˈɛt ɹˈɑt/
fixed phrase
technical
Fungal decay of damp wood
A problem where a fungus destroys wood that stays wet or very damp.
Examples
- The window frames suffered from wet rot due to years of leaking rainwater.
- Wet rot had spread along the base of the wall.
rot in jail
5/ɹˈɑt ˈɪn d͡ʒˈeɪl/
idiom
informal
spend long time in jail
To stay in jail for a very long time, usually in bad conditions and with no hope of leaving soon.
Examples
- The judge said he hoped the killer would rot in jail.
- They are afraid their son will rot in jail if the law does not change.
- Many political prisoners are left to rot in jail for years.
rot in jail
6/ɹˈɑt ˈɪn d͡ʒˈeɪl/
idiom
informal
Suffer in jail for years
To stay in jail for a very long time and suffer there, often used when someone strongly wishes this to happen to a criminal.
Examples
- He deserves to rot in jail for what he did to those children.
- The judge told him he would rot in jail if he ever broke the law again.