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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of festering
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festering
Verb
-
Then came the yacht’s renaissance by her father, who saw beauty and sailing prowess inside a rotting hull.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Rotting Flesh and the Skeleton Underneath Eggers wanted the audience almost to smell the rotting flesh when the sarcophagus is flipped open.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
That’s because warming increases the rate of decay of falling organic debris, so that less of it reaches the twilight zone.—
Tim Vernimmen,
JSTOR Daily,
19 June 2025
-
Certainly not for novelty’s sake; we are hardly starved for dramas of mental decay, or for the stupendous feats of acting that are often achieved in their service.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Keep scrolling for more can’t-miss deals and the answers to your most burning questions about Way Day.—
Ali Faccenda,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Mud puddles are courageous, too, when returning the unblinking, burning gaze of the sky’s white eye.—
contributing Monitor poets,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the rot was there all along — buried beneath years of brand-building, PR campaigns, industry awards and glossy features.—
Rob Shuter,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
-
OpenAI has exposed the rot at the core of the liberal-arts-degree factory; now, professors turn to AI tools to grade papers written by ChatGPT.—
Jayson Greene,
Time,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a nagging overwhelm that often comes with navigating those months when kids are out of school.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
17 June 2025
-
Especially after the Phillies missed out on Devers, who could have filled the power void left by Bryce Harper who recovers from a nagging wrist injury.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
Is dark matter decaying, or is something decaying into dark matter?—
Big Think,
Big Think,
8 Apr. 2025
-
What fill out the episodes instead are extended zombie-battle scenes and long, silent sequences where people explore gorgeously decaying spaces.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hoss — who’s sensual and full of sad, smiling bewilderment without ever disintegrating into ditziness — makes a mature, deeply poignant Ranevskaya.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Marvel at the firework display of disintegrating foes; revel in your might as a pair of badass demon slayers.—
Lewis Gordon,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The direct cost of the tariffs on aerospace is estimated to be as high as $5 Billion, but the real cost is far more pernicious.—
Jerrold Lundquist,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Many scandals arise from the occasion of these activities, and adulteries and other outrageous crimes are committed as a clear offence to God, a very serious danger to the souls of those committing them, and a pernicious example to others.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Festering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festering. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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