fester 1 of 2

verb

ˈfe-stər How to pronounce fester (audio)
Definition of festernext
as in to rot
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

fester

2 of 2

noun

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

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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
Verb
In response to angry, sometimes mocking, questions from Republican senators, Fauci declined to answer more than 100 times, injecting new drama into partisan divides that have festered for years about the origins and handling of the pandemic. — Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 29 July 2026 The conditions that allowed MAHA to flourish—the trust deficit, the corporate entanglements, the gap between research and community, the invisibility of public health in people’s daily lives—have been festering for decades. — Craig Spencer, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026 Beneath all the splendor, the couture, the balls, and the opera lurked an undercurrent of hatred, one that would fester and erupt in ways both insidious and catastrophic. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 Fallout from the arrests and remaining charges, however, are likely to fester. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fester
  1. rot
  2. blister
  3. decompose
  4. boil
  5. disintegrate
  6. pustule
  7. decay
  8. pimple
Verb
  • This panic is also nothing new; television was supposed to rot our brains, and radio before that, and somehow the republic survived.
    — Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Its paint was peeling, clapboards were rotting, and a tarp covered a leaking roof, according to the Times.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of rot
Noun
  • Roster move As expected, the Dodgers put right-hander Roki Sasaki on the 15-day IL with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand on Thursday.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Sasaki left the game in the fourth inning with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of blister
Verb
  • Van der Heijden’s team reported that the fastest decomposing underwear was buried in residential gardens.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Determining the causes of death was complicated by how decomposed the bodies were, the medical examiner’s office said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of decompose
Noun
  • Since its recent lows, CrowdStrike shares have more than doubled to all-time highs earlier this month before coming off the boil.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • When the rice has been brought to a boil, reduce the heat to very low and cover the pot tightly.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of boil
Verb
  • If that’s the case, eagle-eyed observers may be able to witness the space rock disintegrate in real-time.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • With all the rain from storms recently, our streets and roads are disintegrating faster.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Noun
  • 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
  • In animals, the bacterium causes pustules and lesions, predominantly in cattle, sheep, and horses.
    — Helen Branswell, STAT, 11 May 2026
Definition of pustule
Verb
  • Call to action In September 2025, NASA put out a call to action to save Swift, whose orbit was decaying quickly due to high solar activity.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The $30-million mission aimed to raise Swift from a rapidly decaying orbit worsened by intense solar activity, preserving a telescope that spent two decades tracking cosmic explosions.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of decay
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
  • Blind pimple that never breaks through the skin but causes undue chaos below?
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pimple

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Cite this Entry

“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fester. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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