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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
Dylan Scott, Vox, 14 Aug. 2024
Japan’s alliance with the US has become increasingly important in a region that is seeing China, Russia and North Korea all pose threats that Tokyo seeks to counter.
Japan has festering territorial disputes in the north with Russia and with China over islands in the East China Sea.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 5 July 2024
Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 15 July 2024
The rural backdrop offered a place for bigotry to fester and for Pearl to feel suffocated by her own religious upbringing, despite dreams of becoming a starlet.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 5 July 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fester.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Fester.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fester. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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