1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
proper hand washing will help prevent the spread of most pestilent diseases
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in annoying
causing annoyance
pestilent reporters hounding him night and day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
pestilent diseases such as bubonic plague and smallpox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pestilent
But there were plenty of living famouses who were positively pestilent with Knicks fever.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Long dismissed as pestilent rodents, beavers are now coming to be understood as autonomous biosphere managers that may be indispensable in the fight against the effects of climate chaos.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
New York scored a big win in its comeback over the pestilent Houston Rockets on Monday.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
The high densities of brine flies — so dense shorelines can look like they are matted with tar — are an indication of a healthy lake, not a pestilent one.
—Daniel Rothberg, Vox, 1 Oct. 2024
The former was true in the Pelicans' Game 4 as the eagle-wingspan need small forward Jones' and pestilent 6-foot Alvarado's varied physical traits held him to a playoff career-low four points and caused three turnovers.
—Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2022
Island living looks like a privilege when the world is pestilent.
—New York Times, 31 Oct. 2020
Herbicides also are available to contend with the pestilent plant.
—cleveland, 30 June 2020
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Long dismissed as pestilent rodents, beavers are now coming to be understood as autonomous biosphere managers that may be indispensable in the fight against the effects of climate chaos.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
New York scored a big win in its comeback over the pestilent Houston Rockets on Monday.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
The high densities of brine flies — so dense shorelines can look like they are matted with tar — are an indication of a healthy lake, not a pestilent one.
—Daniel Rothberg, Vox, 1 Oct. 2024
The former was true in the Pelicans' Game 4 as the eagle-wingspan need small forward Jones' and pestilent 6-foot Alvarado's varied physical traits held him to a playoff career-low four points and caused three turnovers.
—Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2022
Island living looks like a privilege when the world is pestilent.
—New York Times, 31 Oct. 2020
Herbicides also are available to contend with the pestilent plant.
—cleveland, 30 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pestilent
Adjective
-
Lynn's infectious personality and ongoing quest for selfies made her someone that everyone wanted to know, and her sharp wit kept readers coming back for more.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
The traveler was infectious while passing through Los Angeles County, potentially exposing others at LAX and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
Scam texts are annoying for everyone.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
-
Others have blamed everything from feminism and long work commutes to annoying kiddy car seats.—
Tom Deignan,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
Protesters rallied for hours Tuesday outside the courthouse, with WCCO crews witnessing law enforcement use non-lethal or less-lethal munitions against demonstrators, including both tear gas and pepper spray.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Trump also brought lethal injection back to federal prisons, a protocol Biden withdrew before his term ended.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
His provisional cause of death was given as multi-organ failure due to infective endocarditis, a rare infection of the inner lining or valves of the heart.—
Daniel Taylor,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
On July 30, Ray updated her fans again, revealing her diagnosis of infective endocarditis, a severe heart infection.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
31 July 2024
Adjective
-
The post carried neither hereditary title nor extraordinary fortune, and yet it was regarded with a degree of respect that many noble families found faintly irritating.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
-
And compared with stronger anti-aging ingredients like retinoids or chemical exfoliants, copper peptides are generally considered less irritating and are often well-tolerated by sensitive skin.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
At the same time, vaccination rates have declined, worrying experts that more people could become vulnerable to this potentially deadly but preventable infection.—
Faye Chiu,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
The suspect, who has not yet been identified by police, was arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of 22-year-old Nasir Majied on Friday, June 5.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
If this World Cup has been trying for Iran, it’s been frustrating for Belgium, which hasn’t scored a goal of its own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
The Netherlands are coming off a frustrating 2-2 draw against Japan and desperately need a win to keep their qualification hopes alive.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The plant, which is non-native and is for ornamental purposes, is poisonous to horses.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Not only are the leaves poisonous to humans and pets, but the vine itself is invasive and can spread disease to trees.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pestilent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pestilent. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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