Putrefy

//ˈpjutɹəfaɪ// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To fester or rot and exude a fetid stench.
  2. 2
    become putrid; decay with an offensive smell wordnet
  3. 3
    To become filled with a pus-like or bile-like substance.
  4. 4
    To reach an advanced stage of decomposition.

    "In the Middle Ages, for instance, a recipe for sex stimulation required the putrefied flesh of a human corpse, together with both human and animal testes and ovaries, pimento, and alcohol."

  5. 5
    To become gangrenous.
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    To make morbid, carious, or gangrenous.

    "to putrefy an ulcer or wound"

  2. 7
    To corrupt; to make foul.

    "Private suits do putrefy the public good."

Synonyms

All synonyms
decayfesterrotbreak downbreak upcanker

Example

More examples

"In the Middle Ages, for instance, a recipe for sex stimulation required the putrefied flesh of a human corpse, together with both human and animal testes and ovaries, pimento, and alcohol."

Etymology

From Middle French putréfier.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.