Synonyms of festering

festering 1 of 3

noun

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

• decomposition
• decay
• rot
• fermentation
• putrefaction
• corruption
• spoilage
• putrescence
• breakdown
• crumbling
• disintegration
• moldering
• dissolution
• souring
• curdling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• growth
• maturation
• ripening

festering

2 of 3

adjective

as in bleeding

Related Words

• bleeding
• burning
• nagging
• stinging
• pernicious
• chafing
• noxious
• damaging
• raw
• detrimental
• inflamed
• swollen
• harmful
• cramping
• tender
• injurious
• deleterious
• smarting
• prickling
• itching
• hurtful
• pricking
• agonizing
• pinching
• aching
• threatening
• painful
• torturous
• severe
• excruciating
• sore
• hurting
• grievous
• wounding
• nasty
• achy
• afflictive

Dissimilar Words

• helping
• healing
• remedial
• indolent
• curative
• painless

festering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fester

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

• rotting
• decomposing
• decaying
• disintegrating
• moldering
• putrefying
• perishing
• corrupting
• deteriorating
• spoiling
• molding
• crumbling
• falling apart
• fouling
• descending
• turning
• contaminating
• polluting
• breaking down
• fermenting
• rusting
• going to seed
• tainting
• defiling
• souring
• degenerating
• mortifying
• curdling
• sinking
• turning off
• withering
• declining
• addling
• dilapidating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• growing
• developing
• aging
• maturing
• ripening
• restoring
• renewing
• cleansing
• purifying
• improving
• integrating
• refreshing
• composing
• assembling
• ameliorating
• bettering
• meliorating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of festering

Noun

But the country's key stock benchmarks are struggling to reflect that strength, hinting at a festering disconnect between markets and the economy. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

The festering frustrations over Moreno’s meddling and middling tenure as owner were on full display throughout what is now the team’s 11th consecutive losing season. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

The mystery of his sister is still something that’s festering, but he’s tied to this idea of himself as a PI. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026

But as the inmate and his fellow prisoners journey into the wilderness, the real threat isn’t the trek, but the betrayal and violence festering within their ranks. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 June 2026

There, Marlon must cross the polluted waters of the festering Guanabara Bay in search of a former commander turned messianic cult leader to stop the spread of their paramilitary group. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 16 June 2026

Female screwworms lay hundreds of eggs in the wounds and openings of warm-blooded creatures, allowing their larvae to feast on the living animals, causing deep, festering, life-threatening wounds. — ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026

The soot becomes dust that covers humans and animals, producing festering boils. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

This has been a festering issue not only for the industry but also for consumers. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Adjective

In the Flesh, Sherman rips off the straitjacket after four seasons (and counting) on Saturday Night Live, unleashing a festering and hilarious hour of bodily fluids, open-wound confessionals, and jokes that will leave scars on your soul. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2025

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

These early sequences display a keen ability from Matsumura to paint a tragic picture of malignant, festering grief from a past tragedy, without the need for any overt explanation. — James Marsh, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026

Well, there’s what happened that night, but then there’s a lot that led up to what happened, something that had been festering. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 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

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

Gasoline and diesel prices continued to surge on Thursday, with energy experts warning that those costs are likely to climb in the days ahead amid festering geopolitical conflicts overseas. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

The conditions in a jail in Donetsk were so squalid that the women developed festering sores on their arms, legs, and hands. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 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

And what that means is that festering problems are postponed. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 16 June 2026