From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrottenrot‧ten1 /ˈrɒtn $ ˈrɑːtn/ ●●○ adjective 1 DECAYbadly decayed and no longer good to use the smell of rotten eggs Some of the wood was completely rotten. The apples went rotten very quickly.2 informalUNPLEASANT very bad SYN terrible What rotten luck! a rotten idea The service was rotten. He’s a rotten driver.3 informalBAD if someone is rotten, they are unpleasant, unkind, or dishonest Why are you being so rotten? a rotten little brat4 → feel rotten5 [only before noun] spoken used when you are angry I don’t want your rotten money!6 → rotten to the core7 → a rotten apple —rottenness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
rotten• Inspect stored fruit every week and throw out any that has started to go rotten.• I wouldn't climb that tree if I were you - some of the branches look rotten.• The floor in the bathroom is all rotten.• There were some cheap oranges in the market but most of them were rotten.• She flung the receiver away from her as though it were rotten, and backed toward the door.• In this case, Acheson said one rotten apple would infect the whole barrel.• a pile of rotten apples• You're rotten at lying.• The group publicizes the problems of families denied information from Chechnya as well as the rotten conditions of troops there.• He scrabbled in the snow for the rotten corpse.• I've had a rotten day.• rotten eggs• There was a disgusting smell in the house - a bit like rotten eggs.• He's had a rotten life and he's still having it with that woman.• Gao Yang was frightened by his rotten, misshapen teeth and weepy, festering eyes.• Tom complained loudly about the rotten service.• We want to get rid of the whole rotten tax system.rotten luck• It's rotten, rotten luck.rotten little• We make stupid mistakes and end up with rotten little capers like this one.• We're just a rotten little side-show up in the sky.rottenrotten2 adverb informal 1 → spoil somebody rotten2 → fancy somebody rottenOrigin rotten1 (1200-1300) Old Norse rotinn 