putrefy
verbUK /ˈpjuː.trɪ.faɪ/
US /ˈpjuː.trə.faɪ/
To rot and smell very bad.
The old fruit began to putrefy in the warm sun.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. To become morally corrupt or degenerate.
The society began to putrefy under years of greed.
3. To cause something to rot or decay.
Bacteria putrefy the meat quickly in hot weather.
4. To break down organic matter into foul-smelling compounds.
Without oxygen, the waste putrefied and released a terrible odor.