What does putrid mean?
Putrid means rotten or decomposing, especially in a way that produces an unpleasant smell. It can describe food, vegetation, animals, or other organic matter that has begun to decay, as in “a putrid smell.” The word also has a strong figurative use for people, institutions, or conduct that are morally corrupt or deeply repellent. In that sense, “putrid corruption” suggests something not merely bad but exceptionally offensive. Putrid is formal in tone and can be deliberately vivid because its associations with decay and foulness make it emotionally forceful. It is understood in standard British and American English, though its figurative use is often more common in formal writing, journalism, and political criticism than in everyday conversation.
adjectiveDecayed or rotten, often with an offensive smell. In figurative use, it describes something morally objectionable or deeply repellent.
- Decayed, decomposed, or rotten, especially in a way that produces an offensive smell.
- Morally objectionable, corrupt, or deeply repellent.
"The warm air was filled with the putrid smell of rotting vegetation."
"A putrid smell came from the abandoned refrigerator."
"The newspaper condemned the officials' putrid treatment of the prisoners."
"In the heat, the fish quickly became putrid."
Putrid began in the language of decay: its Roman ancestor described matter that had rotted and begun to stink.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does putrid come from?
Putrid comes from Latin putridus, meaning rotten, decayed, or stinking. The Latin word is related to putere, “to stink,” and forms the basis of English words such as putrefy, putrefaction, and putrescent. English borrowed the word in the early 17th century for both physical decay and, later, figurative moral corruption.
Related word forms
How putrid is actually used
The literal sense is fairly formal but widely understood. The figurative sense is strongly evaluative and usually conveys moral condemnation, disgust, or intense dislike.
Easily confused with putrid
Putrid is an adjective describing something that is decayed or morally objectionable, whereas putrefied is a participial adjective describing something that has undergone putrefaction.