as in rotted
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 festered
The unexpected performance was doubly surprising as Pluto and YKNiece have spoken publicly about the tension between them that has festered since their breakout hit gained ground this year.
—
Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.
—Reuters, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Then the bad luck and the bad blood festered.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Left unresolved, the conflict has festered and now metastasized into one of the largest, longest-running, and most complex armed conflicts in the world.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Unlike the first company, which thrived on directness and discipline, this organization operated in a space of cordial hypocrisy, where conflict was avoided at all costs and resentment festered.
—Margaret Graziano, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Given our generally non-interventionist views on foreign policy and concerns about public spending, this editorial board does not mind rethinking the United States’ role in the Ukraine war, which has festered for three years.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025
These are problems that have festered for decades, and no one expects a quick turnaround, but after all of the promises and all the money invested, people are tired of waiting for clear signs of progress.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
The issue has long festered and has the potential to collapse the government.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024
Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.
—Reuters, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Then the bad luck and the bad blood festered.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Left unresolved, the conflict has festered and now metastasized into one of the largest, longest-running, and most complex armed conflicts in the world.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Unlike the first company, which thrived on directness and discipline, this organization operated in a space of cordial hypocrisy, where conflict was avoided at all costs and resentment festered.
—Margaret Graziano, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Given our generally non-interventionist views on foreign policy and concerns about public spending, this editorial board does not mind rethinking the United States’ role in the Ukraine war, which has festered for three years.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025
These are problems that have festered for decades, and no one expects a quick turnaround, but after all of the promises and all the money invested, people are tired of waiting for clear signs of progress.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
The issue has long festered and has the potential to collapse the government.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festered
Verb
-
According to the Riverfront Times, portions of his fingers had rotted away before anyone found him.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
When a small job of filling in a hole that a pet has dug or where a root has rotted, homeowners can easily handle this type of job themselves.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The first was that the obstacles were decomposed into cuboids.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Rivas’ cause and manner of death are still being determined by the medical examiner; the exam is taking longer than usual as the remains were severely decomposed.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Before flight 10, Starship's most recent demonstration came on May 27, when the spacecraft spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
-
When breaking down what the heck happened over the last four months, the first item on the list is the way New York’s starting rotation disintegrated.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The leather on the shoes appears to be slightly decayed, worn, cracked and brittle, while the laces and midsole are stained, giving a distressed, lived-in effect.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
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In due course of time, the organic material decayed, and the skeleton underneath fossilized over longer timescales.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Festered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festered. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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