festered; festering
ˈfe-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to generate pus
The wound became inflamed and festered.
3
a
: to cause increasing poisoning, irritation, or bitterness : rankle
dissent festered unchecked
His resentment festered for years.
b
: to undergo or exist in a state of progressive deterioration
allowed slums to fester
: to make inflamed or corrupt
: a suppurating sore : pustule
Did you know?
Fester comes from Latin fistula, meaning "pipe" or "fistulous ulcer." Fistula, in English, refers to an abnormal passage leading from an abscess or hollow organ and permitting passage of fluids or secretions. The word's use as a verb meaning "to generate pus" influenced its use as a word implying a worsening state.
Synonyms
Examples of fester in a Sentence
Verb
His wounds festered for days before he got medical attention.
His feelings of resentment have festered for years.
We should deal with these problems now instead of allowing them to fester.
Noun
pus oozed out of the fester
Recent Examples on the Web
Danica Coto, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Advertisement That festering resentment erupted when Trump visited Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island as a powerful Category 4 storm in 2017.
—Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
However, before this cold war over property erupts, the film allows the shattering grief on either side to fester, allowing both factions to feel irrevocably human before things hit the fan.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fester 
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Verb
That festering resentment erupted when Trump visited Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island as a powerful Category 4 storm in 2017.
—Danica Coto, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
Advertisement That festering resentment erupted when Trump visited Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island as a powerful Category 4 storm in 2017.
—Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
But while that thorny issue festers in the background, the best women players will put on a show in an intriguing tournament that will captivate the cricket world.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
However, before this cold war over property erupts, the film allows the shattering grief on either side to fester, allowing both factions to feel irrevocably human before things hit the fan.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fester
Dictionary Entries Near fester
Cite this Entry
“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fester. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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