as in rots
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
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Recent Examples of festers
Alex Ritman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Throughout this episode, Austin’s bitterness festers.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
It festers as part of a long, continuous line.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
When Trimmers fail to recognize this, evil festers.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 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
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
As paranoia festers and absurd regulations tighten their grip, suspicion replaces love, and truth itself begins to warp.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Throughout this episode, Austin’s bitterness festers.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
It festers as part of a long, continuous line.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Mar. 2026
When Trimmers fail to recognize this, evil festers.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 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
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
-
Bonds are tested and betrayal boils.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
-
For traditional crawfish boils, deveining is generally skipped.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
When the seaweed rots, hydrogen sulfide gas is emitted, which smells like rotten eggs.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
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 animals, the bacterium causes pustules and lesions, predominantly in cattle, sheep, and horses.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
11 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The skin stretches out and disintegrates, posing a risk of limb amputation.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 May 2026
-
The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Initial staph symptoms include skin reactions resembling pimples, boils or other conditions.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
Pain That Feels Disproportionate HS lesions are often deeper and more painful than typical pimples or ingrown hairs.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
While Saks Global went into bankruptcy in January with plenty of bumps, the ride is getting smoother.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
-
So, how to address razor bumps in the first place?—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festers. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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