as in to rot
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 fester
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
While more mentions can often be good for a brand, putting too much stock in numbers and too little in what those comments say can have severe reputational consequences, allowing negatives to fester and erode even more into your overall brand perception.
—Adam Petrilli, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Given our generally non-interventionist views on foreign policy and concerns about public spending, this editorial board does not mind rethinking the United States’ role in the Ukraine war, which has festered for three years.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fester
Noun
While the political argument festers, military leaders are left to contemplate a broader problem: Can a country defend itself if not enough people are willing or able to fight?
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
While more mentions can often be good for a brand, putting too much stock in numbers and too little in what those comments say can have severe reputational consequences, allowing negatives to fester and erode even more into your overall brand perception.
—Adam Petrilli, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
Left unresolved, the conflict has festered and now metastasized into one of the largest, longest-running, and most complex armed conflicts in the world.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Given our generally non-interventionist views on foreign policy and concerns about public spending, this editorial board does not mind rethinking the United States’ role in the Ukraine war, which has festered for three years.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester
Noun
-
After several hours, blisters will develop where the bumps were located.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The virus can transmit through direct contact with fluid from shingles blisters or rash.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Such ancient artifacts, including those recently found at the pyramid site, have survived in the region for millennia due to the desert’s dryness—ideal for preserving organic materials that would rot in wet climates.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
-
The piece was about the cycle of life—the apple would rot and eventually disintegrate.—
David Sheff,
ARTnews.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Bring parmesan broth to a boil and add a tablespoon of cold butter and blend with a hand blender.—
Amber Love Bond,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Then mix the grounds with water in a pot, and bring the mixture to a boil.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The clippings quickly decompose, adding nutrients to the soil in the process.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Like the dog, their bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe's especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Its venomous sting causes pustules and allergic reactions and is capable of killing a human.—
Jack Guy,
CNN,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Victims develop high fevers, deep rashes and oozing pustules.—
William J. Broad,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In the Parsi tradition, the bones are left there to gradually disintegrate over time, completing the return to nature without defiling the earth.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The premier Copley Cup — which for decades drew the nation’s elite men’s varsity eights for an early-season east/west showdown – has disintegrated into an alumni race.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Concealer can be your best friend in your makeup kit, instantly erasing pores, pimples, scars, and more.—
Petra Guglielmetti,
Glamour,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Resist the urge to pick at bacne breakouts, as popping pimples worsens acne.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.—
Jeff Lowenfels,
Anchorage Daily News,
22 Sep. 2022
-
In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.—
The Physics arXiv Blog,
Discover Magazine,
29 Apr. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share