decompose

verb

ˌdē-kəm-ˈpōz How to pronounce decompose (audio)
Definition of decomposenext
as in to disintegrate
to go through decomposition detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word decompose different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of decompose are decay, putrefy, rot, and spoil. While all these words mean "to undergo destructive dissolution," decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

the strong odor of decomposing vegetation

Where would decay be a reasonable alternative to decompose?

The words decay and decompose are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.

a decaying mansion

In what contexts can putrefy take the place of decompose?

In some situations, the words putrefy and decompose are roughly equivalent. However, putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.

corpses putrefying on the battlefield

How do rot and decompose relate to one another?

Rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.

fruit was left to rot in warehouses

When is spoil a more appropriate choice than decompose?

The synonyms spoil and decompose are sometimes interchangeable, but spoil applies chiefly to the decomposition of foods.

keep the ham from spoiling

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decompose According to various medical and veterinary websites, blastomycosis is caused by breathing in fungal spores that live in moist soil and decomposing plant matter like wood and leaves. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025 In 2018, a trailer parked in a suburban neighborhood of Guadalajara was only discovered by the stench of the 273 bodies decomposing inside of it. — Tyler McBrien, The Dial, 28 Jan. 2025 This develops from decomposing leaves and other organic material, which contain naturally hydrophobic or water-repellent compounds. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Jan. 2025 Officers responding to reports of a dead woman discovered a decomposing body inside a shed at an apartment complex, Utah police and news outlets reported. — Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
  1. disintegrate
  2. decay
  3. rot
Verb
  • Players like Bobby Bonilla, George Foster, Vince Coleman, Jason Bay, Justin Verlander, Kaz Matsui, and others, came to Queens with high hopes that eventually disintegrated.
    — Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The top courses of the concrete block had disintegrated, and were nothing more than sand and small stones.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.
    — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Sep. 2022
  • In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.
    — The Physics arXiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2022
Definition of decay
Verb
  • The story revolves around a town where the inhabitants have been mysteriously disappearing and rumours abound that there are ghosts under the lake eating human heads and leaving the rotting corpses floating on the water’s surface.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The window company used this preservative to prevent wood rot in both the window frames and the sashes.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of rot

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Cite this Entry

“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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