as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the ghastly festering of the corpses abandoned on the battlefield
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bleeding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in rotting
to go through decomposition
a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 festering
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Oct. 2025
Either there will be sunlight or a scandal that keeps festering.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Instead, what has become a festering problem for the Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder came up yet again.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Is corruption festering in the apparently homogeneous suburb?
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2023
For the moment at least, embassies remain open in both capitals despite a festering but unrelated diplomatic spat that has seen the two sides expel dozens of diplomats since 2017.
—chicagotribune.com, 3 Mar. 2022
Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Whatever, exactly, is festering between Cannon, her mom, and Gung Gung goes largely unsaid.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
But this implosion has been festering for some time.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The Broncos have a real, festering issue that threatens to jeopardize a special season.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
Pluribus is as dry, ironic, brutal, and alert to the horrors festering in no small number of human souls as anything he’s made.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
In fact, that problem is festering.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Without nerve sensation, the patients weren’t aware of festering ulcers and infections, which therefore went untreated until amputation was the only option.
—Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
The sensational turn in the case fueled breathless news coverage as the public became hungry for any revelation about the brothers’ motives or the dark secrets that had been festering inside the Menendez family home.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
There’s always been a festering envy for many years.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Oct. 2025
Either there will be sunlight or a scandal that keeps festering.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Instead, what has become a festering problem for the Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder came up yet again.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Is corruption festering in the apparently homogeneous suburb?
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Adding to the festering sense of uncertainty about the enterprise is the principal characters’ embrace of the supernatural.
—Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2023
For the moment at least, embassies remain open in both capitals despite a festering but unrelated diplomatic spat that has seen the two sides expel dozens of diplomats since 2017.
—chicagotribune.com, 3 Mar. 2022
Verb
By contrast, Eugenia condemns herself to a future of festering tension and fury.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Whatever, exactly, is festering between Cannon, her mom, and Gung Gung goes largely unsaid.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
But this implosion has been festering for some time.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The Broncos have a real, festering issue that threatens to jeopardize a special season.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
Pluribus is as dry, ironic, brutal, and alert to the horrors festering in no small number of human souls as anything he’s made.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
In fact, that problem is festering.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Without nerve sensation, the patients weren’t aware of festering ulcers and infections, which therefore went untreated until amputation was the only option.
—Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
The sensational turn in the case fueled breathless news coverage as the public became hungry for any revelation about the brothers’ motives or the dark secrets that had been festering inside the Menendez family home.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festering
Noun
-
On the property, there were 27 deceased dogs documented since August 1st alone, all in varying stages of decomposition.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The organic matter component of soil derives from the natural decomposition of dead plants, microorganisms, and small soil animals.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The research team revealed that plastination is a new method for managing moisture in wood by replacing water in the cellular structure with a silicone compound to create a durable, hydrophobic barrier that resists swelling, rotting, and cracking.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The rotting corpse flower’s putrid stench cast a spell Thursday across Roseville High School’s campus.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Keep the mulch at least two inches away from woody stems to prevent decay and disease.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Tyranids represent man's fear of the natural world, nature's inexorable ability to overwhelm, decay, and devour all of man's greatest works.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
For nearly two weeks before embarking on the cross-country road trip, the teenager lived with his parents’ decomposing bodies.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The earthy scent of decomposing leaves and soil contributes to the smell.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Stan has plenty of comic-book bona fides thanks to his Avengers tenure, but the Batverse is also a realm of intense prosthetics, over-the-top voices, and enough moral rot to mutate almost any familiar face.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The boost of calcium helps to prevent blossom-end rot, a perennial problem in tomato gardens.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite short-term gains for the Bay Area, Bellisario warned the region still faces nagging woes that remain unsolved.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When healthy, Mizell was a factor, but nagging injuries were his undoing at UF.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In essence, this would mean that alpha particles (helium nuclei) released by decaying uranium (or some other fissile material) would be focused through engine nozzles to generate thrust.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
-
By the time of his death in 2013, Venezuela’s economy was already decaying, its institutions hollowed, and its future mortgaged.—
Duncan S. DeMarsh,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festering. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share