好词典

rot

UK /rɒt/US /rɑːt/

词源

源自古英语 rotian,与古诺尔斯语 rotna 同源,原始日耳曼语词根 *rutōną,可能与拉丁语 rudus(碎石)有关,最初描述物质的破碎分解过程。

verb

❶ 指有机物因细菌或真菌作用而逐渐分解变质,常用于描述食物、木材等自然物质的腐败过程。

“The fallen leaves began to rot on the damp ground.”

(落叶在潮湿的地面上开始腐烂。)

“If you leave the fruit out too long, it will rot.”

(水果放太久会烂掉。)

❶ 比喻事物逐渐恶化或衰败,可用于描述社会、制度或道德等抽象概念的腐朽。

“Corruption caused the government to rot from within.”

(腐败使政府从内部开始腐朽。)

“The prison system is rotting due to overcrowding.”

(监狱系统因过度拥挤而日益恶化。)

同义词:decay, decompose, spoil, deteriorate, putrefy

noun

❶ 物质腐烂的状态或过程,也指腐烂的产物或造成的损害。

“The tree trunk was full of rot.”

(树干内部已经腐烂。)

“Dry rot had spread through the floorboards.”

(干腐病已蔓延到地板中。)

❶ 比喻道德败坏或社会腐败的现象,带有强烈贬义。

“The film exposes the rot at the heart of the political system.”

(这部电影揭露了政治制度核心的腐败。)

“We must stop the rot before it spreads further.”

(我们必须阻止腐败进一步蔓延。)

同义词:decay, decomposition, corruption, degeneration

常见短语

stop the rot — 阻止情况继续恶化,常用于需要及时干预的负面趋势或问题。

“The new manager was brought in to stop the rot in the department.”

(新经理被调来阻止部门情况继续恶化。)

rot away — 逐渐腐烂或衰败,强调随时间推移的持续恶化过程。

“The old pier is rotting away into the sea.”

(旧码头正逐渐腐烂塌入海中。)