pestiferous

adjective

pes·tif·er·ous | \ pe-ˈsti-f(ə-)rəs

Definition of pestiferous

1 : dangerous to society : pernicious

2a : carrying or propagating infection : pestilential

b : infected with a pestilential disease

3 : troublesome, annoying

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Examples of pestiferous in a Sentence

a pestiferous weed that has given gardeners no end of grief

Recent Examples on the Web

The whole event was lousy with pestiferous Bible-banging. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, "What I Saw Inside Roy Moore's Barn Burner," 12 Dec. 2017 After the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48), the Dutch were probably eager for reminders of ordinary domestic life, even pestiferous ones, and for images of quiet and tenderness. — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, "Transcendence in Ordinary Domestic Life," 18 Aug. 2017 Mr. Marín said three factors favored his coffee: the elevation, which is high enough to keep pestiferous coffee borer bugs at bay; the humidity, which stems from passing clouds that provide a steady stream of moisture; and the red soil. — Gustave Axelson, New York Times, "A Journey to Colombia’s Coffee Belt," 7 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pestiferous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.