1
: an epidemic disease associated with high mortality
specifically
: plague
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns (such as agriculture or livestock production)
Examples of pest in a Sentence
These insects are pests for farmers.
mice and other household pests
You're being a real pest. Would you leave us alone, please?
Recent Examples on the Web
And both onions and rosemary produce aromatic compounds that deter pests.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 June 2024
Periodic low-level fires spare the trees but kill a portion of the pests’ pupae buried in leaf litter and soil, preventing them from ruining the following year’s crop.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
There are also some candles that are made with citronella oil, which is found in some species of lemongrass, that can help ward off mosquitoes and other pests when burned.
—Riis Williams, Scientific American, 24 June 2024
For decades until the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, avocados from Mexico were banned from entering the United States out of concern that weevils, scabs and other pests could infect U.S. suppliers, as The Washington Post reported in 2022.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pest 
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 June 2024
Periodic low-level fires spare the trees but kill a portion of the pests’ pupae buried in leaf litter and soil, preventing them from ruining the following year’s crop.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
There are also some candles that are made with citronella oil, which is found in some species of lemongrass, that can help ward off mosquitoes and other pests when burned.
—Riis Williams, Scientific American, 24 June 2024
For decades until the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, avocados from Mexico were banned from entering the United States out of concern that weevils, scabs and other pests could infect U.S. suppliers, as The Washington Post reported in 2022.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pest
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pest
Cite this Entry
“Pest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pest. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pest
noun1
: an epidemic disease which causes a large number of deaths
especially
: plague entry 1 sense 2
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal harmful to human beings or human concerns (as agriculture)
3
: one that pesters or annoys : nuisance
Medical Definition
pest
noun1
: an epidemic disease associated with high mortality
specifically
: plague sense 2
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns
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