rot

If food, wood, or other natural material does this, it slowly breaks down and becomes unusable.

• The fruit will rot in the heat.
• Water got inside, and the wood rotted.
• Leaves are rotting at the bottom of the pond.

Similar words: decay, decompose

Common phrases: rot away, rot in something, begin to rot, start to rot

To gradually lose the ability to work well, often because of too little useful activity.

• My mind will rot without anything to do.
• They left him to rot in a dull office.
• She says endless television has rotted his brain.

Similar words: deteriorate, decline

Opposites: improve

Common phrases: rot your brain, rot away, let something rot

The process in which food, wood, or other natural material slowly breaks down and becomes unusable.

• Damp conditions encourage rot.
• The roof beams showed signs of rot.
• This treatment protects outdoor wood against rot.

Similar words: decay, decomposition

Common phrases: dry rot, wet rot, prevent rot, wood rot

Material such as wood that has broken down and become soft or weak.

• The beam was full of rot.
• He scraped the rot out of the window frame.
• We found soft rot inside the fallen tree.

Similar words: decayed matter

Common phrases: full of rot, remove the rot, patch of rot

Something someone says that is silly or completely untrue.

• That's complete rot!
• He was talking rot about the weather.
• Don't believe that rot about hidden treasure.

Similar words: nonsense, rubbish, drivel

Common phrases: talk rot, utter rot, a lot of rot