pestilent

adjective

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pes·ti·lent | \ ˈpe-stə-lənt

Definition of pestilent

1 : destructive of life : deadly

2 : injuring or endangering society : pernicious

3 : causing displeasure or annoyance

4 : infectious, contagious a pestilent disease

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Examples of pestilent in a Sentence

proper hand washing will help prevent the spread of most pestilent diseases pestilent reporters hounding him night and day

Recent Examples on the Web Island living looks like a privilege when the world is pestilent. — New York Times, "Cut Off From the World Again, Australia Now Finds Silver Linings," 31 Oct. 2020 Herbicides also are available to contend with the pestilent plant. — cleveland, "Poison ivy and other pesky plants can turn summer fun into a season of suffering," 30 June 2020 At the time, the miasmatic theory of disease—the idea that illness was caused by foul, pestilent odors—had made its way to Boston from England, and undoubtedly influenced the decision to fill in the pond. — Betsy Mason, National Geographic, "How Boston Made Itself Bigger," 13 June 2017

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