pestilent

adjective

pes·​ti·​lent ˈpe-stə-lənt How to pronounce pestilent (audio)
1
: destructive of life : deadly
2
: injuring or endangering society : pernicious
3
: causing displeasure or annoyance
4
: infectious, contagious
a pestilent disease
pestilently adverb

Examples of pestilent in a Sentence

proper hand washing will help prevent the spread of most pestilent diseases pestilent reporters hounding him night and day
Recent Examples on the Web But the tropical type of milkweed survives cold winters, and so does its pestilent guest. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2015 The former was true in the Pelicans' Game 4 as the eagle-wingspan need small forward Jones' and pestilent 6-foot Alvarado's varied physical traits held him to a playoff career-low four points and caused three turnovers. Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2022 Island living looks like a privilege when the world is pestilent. New York Times, 31 Oct. 2020 Herbicides also are available to contend with the pestilent plant. cleveland, 30 June 2020 At the time, the miasmatic theory of disease—the idea that illness was caused by foul, pestilent odors—had made its way to Boston from England, and undoubtedly influenced the decision to fill in the pond. Betsy Mason, National Geographic, 13 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pestilent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin pestilent-, pestilens pestilential, from pestis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pestilent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pestilent

Cite this Entry

“Pestilent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pestilent. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pestilent

adjective
pes·​ti·​lent ˈpes-tə-lənt How to pronounce pestilent (audio)
1
: dangerous or destructive to life : deadly
a pestilent drug
2
: harmful or dangerous to society : pernicious
3
: causing displeasure or annoyance
a pestilent child
4
: infectious sense 1, contagious
a pestilent disease
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