rotten
rot·ten/ˈɹɑtn̩/adjective, adverb
rotten is spelled R-O-T-T-E-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (rot·ten). It appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, rotten means “Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in rotten?
| Letters | 6: R-O-T-T-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: rot·ten |
| In writing | 6.5 times per million words; the 9,463rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rotten?
Rotten appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rotten?
- UK /ˈɹɒtn̩/
- US /ˈɹɑtn̩/
- US [ˈɹɑʔn̩]
Rotten has 2 syllables, split rot·ten in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-rotten.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rotten?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rotten from its last stressed vowel (/ɑtn/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rotten
- rottener comparative
- more rotten comparative
- rottenest superlative
- most rotten superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rotten mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents.
If you leave a bin unattended for a few weeks, the rubbish inside will turn rotten.
- 2
In a state of decay.
The floors were damaged and the walls were rotten.
- 3
Cruel, mean or immoral.
That man is a rotten father.
- 4
Bad or terrible.
Why is the weather always rotten in this city?
- 5
Of stone or rock, crumbling or friable; in a loose or disintegrated state.
- 6
AustraliaIrelandUKslangVery drunk, intoxicated.
adverb
- 1
To an extreme degree.
That kid is spoilt rotten.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rotten in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pourri , mauvais |
| German | faul, faulig, verfault, morsch, vergammelt, verdorben |
| Portuguese | podre , cruel, malvado |
| Spanish | podrido, estropeado, carcomido , putrefacto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rotten come from?
From Middle English roten, from Old Norse rotinn (“decayed, rotten”), past participle of an unrecorded verb related to Old Norse rotna (“to rot”) and Old English rotian (“to rot”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”). See rot. By surface analysis, rot + -en (past participle).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).