FESTERS Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

festers 1 of 2

noun

plural of fester

as in boils

a small, inflamed swelling of the skin pus oozed out of the fester

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festers

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fester

as in rots

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 festers

Noun

In Afghanistan, tons more of the troops’ trash still festers in the landscape. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 So pretending imbalance isn't happening — like when one partner is regularly absorbing all the work and smiling through it — just delays the same resentment that often festers in exchange relationships. — Mark Travers, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026 More anxiety festers as the situation leaves unanswered questions of layoffs and more for the $80 billion debt a combo ParaBros will carry if the two iconic companies become one. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026 What occurs over the course of the weekend is what happens as grief festers into rage. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 28 May 2026 Throughout this episode, Austin’s bitterness festers. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026 It festers as part of a long, continuous line. — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026 When Trimmers fail to recognize this, evil festers. — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 Steep declines in timber harvests, meant to save Oregon’s last ancient forests, ripped open an urban-rural divide that still festers. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for festers

Noun

There are also casual cafes to grab a bite to eat or a drink, serving everything from beignets and Italian specialties to seafood boils and espresso drinks.

— Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
At sufficiently low pressure, warm seawater boils at a temperature far below the usual 100 °C (212 °F).

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of boils

Verb

In my experience, environment, culture, clarity, psychological safety and pace determine whether talent produces or rots.

— Nilton Bernini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
And be prepared to top off the soil in the future as the remaining root system rots away, causing the soil to sag.

— Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of rots

Noun

The infected children reported a range of skin and soft tissue symptoms, including spots, pustules, blisters, and abscesses.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
This causes small but often painful red pustules that cluster at the places where the hairstyle is pulling the tightest.

— Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of pustules

Verb

Named for the Frenchman Joseph Fourier, the Fourier transform decomposes any function into a set of simple waves, each with a different frequency, or tone.

— Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
The research team enabled a room-temperature, four-electron chemical reaction path that forms and decomposes lithium oxide, which expands available energy storage.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026

Definition of decomposes

Noun

The biggest overnight mistakes include sleeping in makeup, skipping moisturizer, over-exfoliating, using SPF as a night cream and picking at pimples in bed.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
In addition to being predominantly white, shoes with pimples around the outside of the toes are not permitted.

— Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Definition of pimples

Verb

Even those who can afford to stay suffer losses in home equity and lifestyle as the community around them disintegrates or disappears.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 12 June 2026
None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Definition of disintegrates

Noun

Memory is not so much a flow, sometimes, as a series of bumps and scrapes.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Durant dismissed the campaign entirely, pivoting instead to the WNBA's recent sneaker deals and revenue bumps, not addressing the core issue of biological males entering female leagues.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of bumps

Verb

By writing an out-of-the-money call and an out-of-the-money put for late October, traders can harvest the elevated premium as time value rapidly decays.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
This radioisotope decays into technetium-99m, an essential diagnostic imaging agent used to detect cancer and cardiovascular disease.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of decays

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festers

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“Festers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festers. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of festers

noun

verb

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