1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
proper hand washing will help prevent the spread of most pestilent diseases
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in annoying
causing annoyance
pestilent reporters hounding him night and day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
pestilent diseases such as bubonic plague and smallpox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pestilent
New York scored a big win in its comeback over the pestilent Houston Rockets on Monday.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
The high densities of brine flies — so dense shorelines can look like they are matted with tar — are an indication of a healthy lake, not a pestilent one.
—Daniel Rothberg, Vox, 1 Oct. 2024
But the tropical type of milkweed survives cold winters, and so does its pestilent guest.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2015
The former was true in the Pelicans' Game 4 as the eagle-wingspan need small forward Jones' and pestilent 6-foot Alvarado's varied physical traits held him to a playoff career-low four points and caused three turnovers.
—Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2022
Island living looks like a privilege when the world is pestilent.
—New York Times, 31 Oct. 2020
Herbicides also are available to contend with the pestilent plant.
—cleveland, 30 June 2020
At the time, the miasmatic theory of disease—the idea that illness was caused by foul, pestilent odors—had made its way to Boston from England, and undoubtedly influenced the decision to fill in the pond.
—Betsy Mason, National Geographic, 13 June 2017
At the time, the miasmatic theory of disease—the idea that illness was caused by foul, pestilent odors—had made its way to Boston from England, and undoubtedly influenced the decision to fill in the pond.
—Betsy Mason, National Geographic, 13 June 2017
Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
The high densities of brine flies — so dense shorelines can look like they are matted with tar — are an indication of a healthy lake, not a pestilent one.
—Daniel Rothberg, Vox, 1 Oct. 2024
But the tropical type of milkweed survives cold winters, and so does its pestilent guest.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 15 Jan. 2015
The former was true in the Pelicans' Game 4 as the eagle-wingspan need small forward Jones' and pestilent 6-foot Alvarado's varied physical traits held him to a playoff career-low four points and caused three turnovers.
—Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2022
Island living looks like a privilege when the world is pestilent.
—New York Times, 31 Oct. 2020
Herbicides also are available to contend with the pestilent plant.
—cleveland, 30 June 2020
At the time, the miasmatic theory of disease—the idea that illness was caused by foul, pestilent odors—had made its way to Boston from England, and undoubtedly influenced the decision to fill in the pond.
—Betsy Mason, National Geographic, 13 June 2017
At the time, the miasmatic theory of disease—the idea that illness was caused by foul, pestilent odors—had made its way to Boston from England, and undoubtedly influenced the decision to fill in the pond.
—Betsy Mason, National Geographic, 13 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pestilent
Adjective
-
Probiotics may decrease the duration of diarrhea and can reduce the length of hospital stays associated with infectious diarrhea.1 Evidence from a meta-analysis showed that probiotics can help improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
5 Aug. 2025
-
That helps determine when and where the person was infectious.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Electric staplers may also include bonus features like a refill indicator light, high-volume stapling and jam-free staple pathways for reducing annoying backups.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV has a sleek and minimalist design that really stands out, and its black levels are flawless, resulting in no annoying light bloom at all.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether that lethal combination continues moving forward, time will tell.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Even simple proposals, such as requiring DNA synthesis labs to screen for lethal pathogens, have failed in Congress.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
His provisional cause of death was given as multi-organ failure due to infective endocarditis, a rare infection of the inner lining or valves of the heart.—
Daniel Taylor,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
His provisional cause of death was given as multi-organ failure due to infective endocarditis, a rare infection of the inner lining or valves of the heart.—
Daniel Taylor,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The woman’s walk was rushed and uptight, making that sound even more irritating.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The call was impersonal, irritating, and to Borchardt, quite lazy.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Police chases in Milwaukee have become increasingly deadly Police pursuits are so frequent, Milwaukee officers engage in between two and three every day, according to a city report in 2024.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
9 Aug. 2025
-
Malaria, the most deadly parasite infection in the world, is most commonly caused by the protozoa parasite Plasmodium falciparum.4 Ectoparasites: These parasites usually live on (not in) their host.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But the most frustrating point among them is the argument shared by several critics and a wider collection of the audience that the film doesn’t have a deeper meaning and is ultimately about nothing.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Few things are more frustrating than running into a stubborn knot while in the middle of a brushing.—
Annie Blackman,
Glamour,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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If touched, the toad’s poisonous glands emit toxins that can be rapidly absorbed in your dog’s bloodstream and kill her quickly.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
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While every season is different depending on the location, some of the past challenges have included walking across a tightrope over a cliff, rescuing themselves from a sinking car and invading a crate filled with poisonous gases and chemicals.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pestilent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pestilent. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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