Link Centre Dictionary

pestiferous

pes·ti·fe·rous

UK/ˌpɛsˈtɪfəɹəs/ uncommon

adjective

1.

contaminated with infecting organisms

  • “dirty wounds”
  • “obliged to go into infected rooms” Jane Austen
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2.

likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease

  • “a pestilential malignancy in the air” Jonathan Swift
  • “plaguey fevers”
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3.
4.

causing irritation or annoyance

  • “tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork”
  • “aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport”
  • “found it galling to have to ask permission”
  • “an irritating delay”
  • “nettlesome paperwork”
  • “a pesky mosquito”
  • “swarms of pestering gnats”
  • “a plaguey newfangled safety catch”
  • “a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him”
  • “a vexatious child”
  • “it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong”
Synonyms
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Origin

Mid 15th century, in sense “mischievous, pernicious”, from Latin pestifer (“bearing plague”), from pestis (“plague”) + -fer (“carrying”). By surface analysis, pesti- + -ferous (“bearing, carrying”).

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.