pestilence

noun

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pes·ti·lence | \ ˈpe-stə-lən(t)s

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 on the Web General modern histories find pestilence and disease rather dull when compared to national supermen, which are most often military generals. — Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, "How Mosquitos Helped Shape the Course of Human History," 5 Aug. 2019 Funny that there’s pestilence always close to Trump. — Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, "The vermin in the White House," 29 July 2019 That reasoned xenophobia was reinforced by British colonialists, who turned their muskets and cannons on the islanders, stole their land, then stood back as pestilence carried off most of the population. — Alex Perry, Outside Online, "The Last Days of John Allen Chau," 24 July 2019 They’re seen as signs of urban decay and carriers of pestilence. — Charlie Hamilton James, National Geographic, "How rats became an inescapable part of city living," 17 June 2019 Today’s environmental laws have restored the old normal, making drought, disease, pestilence and fire a constant scourge of our forests. — Tom Mcclintock, WSJ, "Only Good Management Can Prevent Forest Fires," 17 Dec. 2018 Lead was crucial in the production of silver, which eventually spurred an economic resurgence as the sky cleared and the pestilence waned. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Researchers Identify 536 A.D. as The Absolute Worst Year Ever," 20 Nov. 2018 And yes, a pestilence-ravaged, emaciated Prior, abandoned by Louis, his squeamish lover, can have his ceiling crack in two as an Angel (Francesca Faridany) bursts through, endowing him with a terrible, incomprehensible prophecy. — Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Berkeley Rep revives ‘Angels in America,’ in all its soaring spirit," 29 Apr. 2018 Agriculture has always been a business of vast uncertainties—uncontrollable sunlight and rainfall, as well as unpredictable pestilence and disease. — Alan Murray, Fortune, "China Surprise, EU Tariffs, Browder Arrest: CEO Daily for May 30, 2018," 30 May 2018

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.