pests

noun

plural of pest
1
as in plagues
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death one of the great pests of the 20th century was the influenza epidemic of 1918, which killed millions across the globe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in nuisances
one who is obnoxiously annoying stop being a pest to your sister and go find something else to do

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation a never-ending construction project that continues to be a pest for motorists

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 pests They’re often made for their biological effects, serving as distress signals or to ward off pests and predators. — Mike McRae 03, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 The next step — deploying that data to push back against the pests — will be a more difficult and expensive sell. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026 Seal these places with caulk or expanding foam designed to block pests from entering. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026 More fertilizer will likely bring about a higher quality lawn, but along with that carpet-like appearance comes higher water demands, more mowing, and in some cases, a greater susceptibility to pests and diseases. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026 The Independence Plaza Neighborhood Council has been fighting in court to force Olive Park’s owners, Millennia Housing Management, to secure the vacant property and fix issues with water, trash, mold and pests. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 Program costs, hungry pests, and limited access are other hurdles. — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026 These plants give off a pungent odor that is great for keeping pests away. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026 Cedarwood Oil Cedarwood is another essential oil with an unpleasant smell to mice as well as other pests. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pests
  1. plagues
  2. nuisances
  3. headaches
  4. annoyances
  5. thorns
  6. irritants
  7. frustrations
  8. problems
Noun
  • Most people go to campgrounds to escape the plagues of modern technology, so try to keep the decibels to a minimum.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The deadliest animal to have ever roamed the earth is not the great white shark, or snakes, or even rats that caused three great plagues in history, decimating the human population at the time.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 July 2026
Definition of plagues
Noun
  • The petition sought to classify data centers as industrial nuisances, arguing that a ban would protect residents’ property and preserve city resources, such as water and electricity.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The number of bears killed by motor vehicle strikes, euthanized as nuisances because of conflicts with humans or poached in the Central Florida region over the past decade total about 1,900.
    — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisances
Noun
  • Those with the condition, which was eventually named Minamata disease, had symptoms including tremors, headaches, seizures, vision and hearing problems, ataxia, dysarthria, memory loss, and cognitive decline.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Patients may experience a very high fever, headaches, neck pain, stupor, disorientation, muscle weakness and other serious symptoms.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of headaches
Noun
  • People are exhausted by subscriptions, signing up for apps, logins, passwords, and other first-world annoyances that are now common in the search to watch a game on TV.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Add in a few other clever accessories, and suddenly the small annoyances of traveling feel a lot more manageable.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoyances
Noun
  • Roses are considered non-toxic, though thorns can cause injuries and floral preservatives may still pose a risk.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Keep in mind that rose stems are often armed with sharp prickles, not thorns.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thorns
Noun
  • As federal agents increasingly used chemical irritants on crowds, Michael Cavlan began spending less time patrolling and more time treating people who’d been hurt.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Carney also said that Washington viewed protections for French and Canadian culture — considered fundamental rights in Canada — as irritants to trade.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritants
Noun
  • The past few weeks have seen the former host of To Catch a Predator repeatedly voice his frustrations with Oppenheim’s Primetime, A24’s dark thriller that will explore the origins of Hansen’s controversial Dateline segment.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 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
Definition of frustrations
Noun
  • Programs such as HyCAT are intended to provide more frequent opportunities to test technologies in realistic flight conditions, potentially allowing developers to identify problems earlier and iterate more quickly.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The court also said any problems caused by the timing of the ruling is the fault of the secretary of state, who waited eight months before making a decision on the ballot initiative.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of problems

Browse Nearby Words

pestled
pests
pesty
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Cite this Entry

“Pests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pests. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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