FESTER Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

fester 1 of 2

verb

ˈfe-stər

Definition of fester

as in to rot

to go through decomposition a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields

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fester

2 of 2

noun

as in blister

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

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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

The problem that will continue to fester for Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian over the rest of this season centers around this offense struggling to play consistent football. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 As Prue and Curtis struggle to unravel the twisty lore of the obstacle-laden forest in their search for Mac, their outsider presence inadvertently sets off a long-festering showdown for control of the forest between its warring factions. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 My family visited Paris in the summer of 2019, and although we were infatuated by the city’s beauty, we were appalled at how immigrants were allowed to fester on the streets and harass tourists like us. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Israeli left-wingers, for their part, have long held that a festering military rule over Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and failure to reach peace, would inevitably lead to violent conflagration. — Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fester

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester

Verb

Fast forward to this summer, when the Lineage food storage warehouse fire occurred in Boyle Heights, a predominantly Latino community that then was forced to endure weeks of rat infestation and the stench of rotting food while cleanup took place.

— Linh Tat, Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026
Look for other signs of disease, like yellowing leaves, dead branches, fungal growth, and rot.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of rot

Noun

The boil water advisory remains in effect until further notice.

— CBS News, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026
Take two guys, give them uproariously funny dialogue that splits the middle between Harold Pinter and David Mamet, add in few dashes of shocking violence, and let everything reach a full boil.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of boil

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

One thing that decaying wood releases is carbon, which is part of the natural process that stabilizes climates in the long-term.

— Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
It will be powered by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) reactor, which relies on heat generated by a decaying nuclear isotope, and so does not rely on solar power for energy.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of decay

Noun

Or a period peek at Bond the teen-aged Etonian, with pimples and a tailcoat?

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Rhode, on the other hand, has created pimple patches with Justin Bieber but hasn’t made a collaborative collection with a fashion brand as of yet.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of pimple

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fest

fester

festered

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“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of fester

verb

noun

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