Definition of pestilence
1 : a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating; especially : bubonic plague
2 : something that is destructive or pernicious I'll pour this pestilence into his ear — William Shakespeare
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Examples of pestilence in a Sentence
After years of war and pestilence, few people remained in the city.
the fear that terrorists could unleash a pestilence that would wreak unspeakable havoc
Recent Examples of pestilence from the Web
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With witty illustrations and insights into the lifestyles of our helmeted friends, Cockroach World makes pestilence downright cute.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pestilence'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
14th Century
First Known Use of pestilence
14th century
PESTILENCE Defined for English Language Learners
pestilence
playDefinition of pestilence for English Language Learners
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: a disease that causes many people to die
PESTILENCE Defined for Kids
pestilence
playDefinition of pestilence for Students
: a contagious usually fatal disease that spreads quickly
Medical Dictionary
pestilence
playMedical Definition of pestilence
: a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating; specifically : bubonic plague
Learn More about pestilence
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pestilence Spanish Central: Translation of pestilence Nglish: Translation of pestilence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pestilence for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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