1
: an epidemic disease associated with high mortality
specifically
: plague
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns (such as agriculture or livestock production)
Examples of pest in a Sentence
These insects are pests for farmers.
mice and other household pests
You're being a real pest. Would you leave us alone, please?
Recent Examples on the Web
Outdoor spiders are hard at work, devouring home and garden pests such as ants, flies, mosquitoes, aphids, and thrips.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Once the pests arrive, an outdoor fans work surprisingly well for keeping them away, since mosquitoes are weak fliers and avoid wind.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 11 Oct. 2025
This would probably be a pest-free garden because of the attraction of daisy flowers to a wide variety of beneficial insects, including ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
To deter digging pests, gardeners can use chicken wire, plant more bulbs than needed, or choose larger bulbs like daffodils.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pest
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Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
Once the pests arrive, an outdoor fans work surprisingly well for keeping them away, since mosquitoes are weak fliers and avoid wind.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 11 Oct. 2025
This would probably be a pest-free garden because of the attraction of daisy flowers to a wide variety of beneficial insects, including ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
To deter digging pests, gardeners can use chicken wire, plant more bulbs than needed, or choose larger bulbs like daffodils.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pest
Cite this Entry
“Pest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pest. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pest
noun1
: an epidemic disease which causes a large number of deaths
especially
: plague entry 1 sense 2
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal harmful to human beings or human concerns (as agriculture)
3
: one that pesters or annoys : nuisance
Medical Definition
pest
noun1
: an epidemic disease associated with high mortality
specifically
: plague sense 2
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns
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