pestilence
noun
pes·ti·lence
ˈpe-stə-lən(t)s 
1
: a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating
especially
: bubonic plague
2
: something that is destructive or pernicious
I'll pour this pestilence into his ear—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
Examples of pestilence in a Sentence
After years of war and pestilence, few people remained in the city.
the fear that terrorists could unleash a pestilence that would wreak unspeakable havoc
Recent Examples on the Web
My advice has nothing to do with conflict or pestilence.
—Paul Thornton, The Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2024
Published in the aftermath of the Black Death, Boccaccio’s frame narrative features 10 wealthy young people (and some of their servants) sheltering in the countryside from the pestilence ravaging Florence.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
Readers also turned to tales of pestilence past: Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 25 July 2024
With fire and broadsword came pestilence, in the form of a sickness called Morrisania fever, which carried off many Refugees.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pestilence 
Paul Thornton, The Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2024
Published in the aftermath of the Black Death, Boccaccio’s frame narrative features 10 wealthy young people (and some of their servants) sheltering in the countryside from the pestilence ravaging Florence.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
Readers also turned to tales of pestilence past: Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 25 July 2024
With fire and broadsword came pestilence, in the form of a sickness called Morrisania fever, which carried off many Refugees.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pestilence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pestilence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to pestilence
Dictionary Entries Near pestilence
Cite this Entry
“Pestilence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pestilence. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pestilence
noun
pes·ti·lence
ˈpes-tə-lən(t)s
: a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that spreads quickly and is often fatal
especially
: bubonic plague
Medical Definition
pestilence
noun
pes·ti·lence
ˈpes-tə-lən(t)s
: a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating
specifically
: bubonic plague
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share