What does putrefy mean?
Putrefy means to become rotten through decomposition, usually as a result of bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms acting on organic material. The word is especially associated with food, flesh, plants, and other once-living substances that decay under unsuitable conditions. Although it can describe a physical process, putrefy also carries a strongly unpleasant connotation, often suggesting smell, contamination, and irreversible deterioration. It is more formal and literary than the everyday verb rot, making it especially effective in scientific, forensic, or descriptive writing. Standard modern usage is intransitive: something putrefies or begins to putrefy, rather than a person or condition directly puttingrefying it. Related forms include the noun putrefaction, meaning the process of decay, and the adjective putrefactive, meaning tending to cause or promote putrefaction. Putrefy is also etymologically connected with putrid and putrescent, all of which describe states of rotting or decay. Its unusual sound and precise meaning make it useful when the process of decomposition itself, rather than general deterioration, is the focus.
verbTo undergo decomposition and become rotten, especially through the action of bacteria or fungi. It is usually used intransitively of organic matter.
- To become rotten or undergo decomposition, especially as a result of microbial activity.
"The fish began to putrefy in the heat."
"In the heat, the fish began to putrefy."
"Bacteria cause the tissue to putrefy if it is not treated promptly."
Putrefy enters English from the same Latin root that gives us the word putrid: both point to the unmistakable smell of something decaying.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does putrefy come from?
Putrefy comes from Latin putrefacere, meaning “to make rotten,” formed from puter, meaning “rotten.” English usage developed in the early 17th century, initially with the meaning “to become rotten” and later also in figurative senses. Its relatives putrefaction, putrefactive, putrid, and putrescent come from the same Latin family of words associated with decay.
Related word forms
How putrefy is actually used
Putrefy is formal or literary and is less common in everyday speech than rot or decompose. Modern usage is normally intransitive: the subject is the material undergoing decay, rather than an agent causing it to decay.
Easily confused with putrefy
Putrefy means to decay or become rotten, whereas purify means to remove impurities or make something pure.