as in rots
to go through decomposition
a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of festers
David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Lithgow — so nimble and charismatic and then suddenly so imposing, with no aversion to the grotesque — knows how to bring out the insecurity that almost always festers at the center of any performatively self-certain action.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 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
There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Larger debate over the French retreat and the role of disease still festers, however.
—Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
South End residents and retailers said at a City Council hearing last Friday that businesses in Boston are being battered by shoplifting to feed the addiction that festers daily at the Mass and Cass drug market.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Delay a tough conversation, and resentment festers.
—Jason Richmond, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
When Trimmers fail to recognize this, evil festers.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Lithgow — so nimble and charismatic and then suddenly so imposing, with no aversion to the grotesque — knows how to bring out the insecurity that almost always festers at the center of any performatively self-certain action.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 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
There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Larger debate over the French retreat and the role of disease still festers, however.
—Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
South End residents and retailers said at a City Council hearing last Friday that businesses in Boston are being battered by shoplifting to feed the addiction that festers daily at the Mass and Cass drug market.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
Delay a tough conversation, and resentment festers.
—Jason Richmond, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festers
Noun
-
Don’t be tempted to take an earlier exit, even though signs along I-10 will boast the finest boils in the state.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But it's very commonly associated with like seafood boils.—
Emily Elias,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The big differences between the labs probably reflect the fact that, as Italians like to say, the fish rots from the head.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another process, thermogenic hydrogen formation, occurs in deep sedimentary basins when organic material decomposes under high temperatures, roughly 480 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit (250 to 500 degrees Celsius).—
Promise Longe,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The clever bit is when these fuels flow through the Draper engine and encounter a catalyst that decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into high-pressure oxygen and steam.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In fact, one of the most common triggers of rosacea, which is characterized by flushing, swelling, spider veins, papules, and pustules, is exposure to sunlight.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Research suggests that pimple patches aren't effective on cystic acne, pustules, or blackheads.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The café disintegrates, white-peach mimosas lost forever.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
-
If the American state disintegrates, future postmortems are unlikely to focus much on measles, or on rotavirus vaccination rates.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This year, Select editors got ahead of any surprise pimples by investigating the difference between skin purging and breakouts, researching the best over-the-counter topicals for teen acne, and asking dermatologists the best blackhead treatments for acne-prone skin.—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
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Spot treatments for pimples are one of the best ways to target breakouts.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
-
This state then decays through a two-step cascade, releasing two photons in rapid succession.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The 25-year-old came to the defense of Jamal Murray after an exchange of bumps early in the second quarter, sparking a minor altercation.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
-
That started the ball rolling, but there were a lot of bumps on the way.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festers. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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