Definition of fester
:a suppurating sore :pustule
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Examples of fester in a Sentence
pus oozed out of the fester
Origin and Etymology of fester
Middle English, from Anglo-French festre, from Latin fistula pipe, fistulous ulcer
Definition of fester
festered;
festering
play
\ˈfe-st(ə-)riŋ\
intransitive verb
1
:to generate pus
- The wound became inflamed and festered.
3 a
:to cause increasing poisoning, irritation, or bitterness :rankle
- dissent festered unchecked
- His resentment festered for years.
b
:to undergo or exist in a state of progressive deterioration
- allowed slums to fester
transitive verb
:to make inflamed or corrupt
Examples of fester in a Sentence
His wounds festered for days before he got medical attention.
His feelings of resentment have festered for years.
We should deal with these problems now instead of allowing them to fester.
Recent Examples of fester from the Web
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Line of Attack SPD challenger Martin Schulz stuck to his campaign theme of blaming Merkel for allowing a diesel-car scandal to fester.
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By attacking Affirmative Action initiatives, Sessions' DOJ will rip off that Band-Aid and allow the wound underneath to fester.
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Their open, festering wounds don’t heal for months and sometimes years, leaving bare bones and tendons that evoke disgust even among their closest relatives.
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Moreover, any sterilizing attempts only seem to temporarily free up sponge-space for potential pathogens, which rapidly recolonize the festering scrubber.
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Trump exploited the divisions and weaknesses that the party had allowed to fester for so many years—
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Moon’s proposal for talks with North Korea also builds on a lesson from history to not let problems fester.
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Rob Forth hunts where the disease has festered for decades, on land near his home north and east of Denver.
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Democrats launched a series of procedural tactics to make sure schools kept funding in case lawmakers failed to make good on their long-festering obligation to overhaul Washington’s school system.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fester.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Fester first entered English as a noun in the early 14th century. It was originally used as we now use the word fistula, for an abnormal passage leading from an abscess or hollow organ and permitting passage of fluids or secretions. It later came to refer to a sore that discharges pus. The connection between "fester" and "fistula" is no accident - both descend from Latin fistula, which has the same meaning as the English word but can also mean "pipe" or "tube" or "a kind of ulcer." "Fester" made the trip from Latin to English by way of Anglo-French. By the end of the 14th century, it was also being used as a verb meaning "to generate pus," a use that has since developed extended senses implying a worsening state.
First Known Use of fester
14th century
fester Synonyms
Synonyms
break down, corrupt, decompose, disintegrate, decay, foul, mold, molder, perish [chiefly British], putrefy, rot, spoilRelated Words
sour, turn, turn off [British]; contaminate, defile, pollute, taint; addle, curdle, ferment; mortify; rust; crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, witherNear Antonyms
age, develop, grow, mature, ripen; refresh, renew, restore; cleanse, purify; assemble, compose, integrate; ameliorate, better, improve, meliorateFESTER Defined for English Language Learners
fester
verb
Definition of fester for English Language Learners
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: to become painful and infected
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: to become worse as time passes
FESTER Defined for Kids
fester
play
verb
fes·ter
\
ˈfe-stər
\
Definition of fester for Students
festered;
festering
:to become painfully red and sore and usually full of pus
- The wound festered.
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of fester
festered;
festering
play
\-t(ə-)riŋ\
:to generate pus
Learn More about fester
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See words that rhyme with fester Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fester Spanish Central: Translation of fester Nglish: Translation of fester for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fester for Arabic speakers
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