fester 1 of 2

verb

ˈfe-stər How to pronounce fester (audio)
Definition of festernext
as in to rot
to go through decomposition a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fester

2 of 2

noun

as in blister
a small, inflamed swelling of the skin pus oozed out of the fester

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fester
Verb
After a week, many of them developed festering sores on their arms, legs, and hands. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 If someone doesn’t feel comfortable doing so, the issue will only fester and complicate future efforts. — Gary Zammit, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 In response to angry, sometimes mocking, questions from Republican senators, Fauci declined to answer more than 100 times, injecting new drama into partisan divides that have festered for years about the origins and handling of the pandemic. — Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 29 July 2026 The conditions that allowed MAHA to flourish—the trust deficit, the corporate entanglements, the gap between research and community, the invisibility of public health in people’s daily lives—have been festering for decades. — Craig Spencer, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester
  1. rot
  2. blister
  3. decompose
  4. boil
  5. disintegrate
  6. pustule
  7. decay
  8. pimple
Verb
  • In recent years, many grape growers have left fruit to rot on vines, and many winemakers have product sitting in tanks.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The bacteria comes from a variety of sources, including soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation and animals, according to the FDA.
    — Eva Flowe October 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of rot
Noun
  • Not every blister or color change indicates infection, so ask the treating clinician to assess unexpected symptoms.
    — Malana VanTyler, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Siedlecki saw Jannah’s skin turn red, then peel and blister, and the burns extended from the baby’s mid-back to the back of her legs and heels, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of blister
Verb
  • The first responding officer opened one of the suitcases and discovered a woman's decomposing body -- naked, bound with rope and in a fetal position.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Remnants of a wooden spear weren’t found near the Neanderthal’s remains, which is understandable since the material often decomposes so quickly.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of decompose
Noun
  • Residents and businesses in South Fulton, Fairburn, Union City, Chattahoochee Hills and Palmetto can use tap water without boiling it after Atlanta officials lifted the boil water advisory Wednesday morning.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Pour in 1 cup water and bring to a boil; season with more salt if needed.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of boil
Verb
  • Some classic stuffing recipes call for plain white bread, which will likely absorb too much moisture and disintegrate.
    — Kendra Vaculin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Whatever one believes about the allegations against the couple, the devastation of watching an academic and media career disintegrate in real time is difficult to dismiss.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Noun
  • The infected children reported a range of skin and soft tissue symptoms, including spots, pustules, blisters, and abscesses.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • This causes small but often painful red pustules that cluster at the places where the hairstyle is pulling the tightest.
    — Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of pustule
Verb
  • Wrens, chickadees, titmice, thrushes and nuthatches all forage either through the leaf canopy or the slowly decaying ground litter for beetles, caterpillars, spiders, ants and other insects.
    — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Although a horrifying sea creature sits at the center of the show, this story is about a man desperate to cling to a decaying past, a grieving family and how greed can create monsters.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of decay
Noun
  • Picking may be directed at healthy skin, hair, scalp, pimples, or moles.
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Elsewhere in the top 10 were Eos and The Ordinary, while Hero Cosmetics took the number-10 spot for its signature pimple patches.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pimple

Browse Nearby Words

fest
fester
festered
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All