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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Recent Examples of fester
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
The Season 2 ignition stems from long-festering issues and an uber quarrel that goes from insults to wine glasses thrown against the wall to Lindsay taking a golf club to beloved items in collector Josh's man-cave office.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
This film has likely been festering a good while.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Contreras has had a long-festering feud with the Brewers throughout his career, but the 24 hit-by-pitches in 121 games against the Brewers are the most hit-by-pitches by one team against any active player.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fester
Verb
But the explosive anger, vicious vendettas, and festering class resentments expressed so powerfully in season one remain.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
The Season 2 ignition stems from long-festering issues and an uber quarrel that goes from insults to wine glasses thrown against the wall to Lindsay taking a golf club to beloved items in collector Josh's man-cave office.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
This film has likely been festering a good while.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Contreras has had a long-festering feud with the Brewers throughout his career, but the 24 hit-by-pitches in 121 games against the Brewers are the most hit-by-pitches by one team against any active player.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester
Verb
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Also, check for hollows in trunks that may mean the interior portion is rotting.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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This will prevent fungal infections, reducing the chance of rotting before roots form, Bradley says.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
23 May 2026
Noun
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The tears then started to flow, as Zheng took deep breaths and explained that the foot issue was to reapply tape to a foot blister that had been bothering her.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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Tick bites also may cause a blister, rash or small bruise.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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One of the latest challenges is hydrogen sulfide – a foul-smelling gas given off by decomposing bat droppings inside the chamber, that caused some crew members to faint, Kengkad told CNN.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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Microbes create oxygen in the atmosphere, decompose waste material, and help plants absorb nutrients.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Nothing screams summer on the Southern east coast like a classic, family-style crab boil.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
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Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Blaine and Anneliese are hand-in-hand, as the transformer's power envelopes them, suspending them in mid-air as their bodies begin to disintegrate from the electricity.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
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Other items range from dried, disintegrating leaves found from Parton’s front garden, cans of soft drinks endorsed by the Spice Girls, and personal belongings of graffiti artist Tox26.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
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In animals, the bacterium causes pustules and lesions, predominantly in cattle, sheep, and horses.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
11 May 2026
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Rust: Easily identified by orange pustules on the undersides of leaves, often accompanied by faint yellow or orange spots on the upper surfaces.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The woman, her husband, Peter Temple, and the couple's 12 children, ages five to 17, were able to spend time at home with Pandora before her funeral thanks to a cooling bassinet, a medical device that preserves a baby's body and slows the decaying process through cold temperatures.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
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During a collision, gas clouds could be thrown down toward each galaxy’s center and ultimately fall into decaying orbits around each awaiting black hole, forming huge disks there that would become extremely hot and potentially extremely bright.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
Noun
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Pair them with a benzoyl peroxide face wash and pimple-friendly moisturizer to speed up healing.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
26 May 2026
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Baker’s Stanford is a strong candidate, and his book follows in the tradition of Michael Lewis’s Wall Street chronicle Liar’s Poker, but with more pimples and less eye contact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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