festering 1 of 3

noun

Definition of festeringnext
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances the ghastly festering of the corpses abandoned on the battlefield

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

festering

2 of 3

adjective

as in bleeding

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Dissimilar Words

festering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fester
as in rotting
to go through decomposition a week after the battle the corpses of the fallen were still festering in the fields

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of festering
Noun
The mystery of his sister is still something that’s festering, but he’s tied to this idea of himself as a PI. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 But as the inmate and his fellow prisoners journey into the wilderness, the real threat isn’t the trek, but the betrayal and violence festering within their ranks. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 June 2026 There, Marlon must cross the polluted waters of the festering Guanabara Bay in search of a former commander turned messianic cult leader to stop the spread of their paramilitary group. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 16 June 2026 Female screwworms lay hundreds of eggs in the wounds and openings of warm-blooded creatures, allowing their larvae to feast on the living animals, causing deep, festering, life-threatening wounds. — ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026 The soot becomes dust that covers humans and animals, producing festering boils. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 This has been a festering issue not only for the industry but also for consumers. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 The far better response would be for the Nigerian authorities — both state and federal — to tackle the festering conditions that have created the insecurity. — Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026 And nearly omnipresent throughout is the soundtrack by Daniel Blumberg, who brought the rhythms of industrialization and its festering underbelly to 2024’s The Brutalist and won an Oscar for it. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In the Flesh, Sherman rips off the straitjacket after four seasons (and counting) on Saturday Night Live, unleashing a festering and hilarious hour of bodily fluids, open-wound confessionals, and jokes that will leave scars on your soul. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2025 Adding to the festering sense of uncertainty about the enterprise is the principal characters’ embrace of the supernatural. — Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2023 For the moment at least, embassies remain open in both capitals despite a festering but unrelated diplomatic spat that has seen the two sides expel dozens of diplomats since 2017. — chicagotribune.com, 3 Mar. 2022
Verb
The conditions in a jail in Donetsk were so squalid that the women developed festering sores on their arms, legs, and hands. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Anti-Rhaenyra sentiment is festering, even within the Red Keep. — Judy Berman, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 The conditions that allowed MAHA to flourish—the trust deficit, the corporate entanglements, the gap between research and community, the invisibility of public health in people’s daily lives—have been festering for decades. — Craig Spencer, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026 And what that means is that festering problems are postponed. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 16 June 2026 But, the most intriguing part of the current situation presiding over the SEC is how many schools are actually on the same page about the economic structure that athletic directors and presidents are currently festering over. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026 Six decades of Cuban history were festering under the country’s blanket of silence, giving us a collective identity crisis. — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026 The high costs of doing business in California, festering labor issues, fierce competition and crime have hit the chain hard in Southern California. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026 Cantor Fitzgerald market strategist Eric Johnston remains tactically bullish but is citing some festering concerns around earnings quality and the sustainability of the AI bonanza. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festering
  1. decomposition
  2. bleeding
  3. rotting
  4. decay
  5. burning
  6. decomposing
  7. rot
  8. nagging
Noun
  • According to the medical examiner's office, the bodies were improperly stored at the funeral home and were in various states of decomposition at the time.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Investigators and forensic pathologists who responded found remains in various states of decomposition.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of decomposition
Adjective
  • Dickerson was the first physician to treat Mike Studeny, who was diagnosed with a non-bleeding stroke.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 9 May 2026
  • In tests using mice, after surgical damage to the liver, AGCL was able to perform significantly better than other current anti-bleeding agents, with normal liver function returning just two weeks after its application.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of bleeding
Verb
  • The Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The smell of rotting food follows Juan Canil like a second shadow.
    — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotting
Noun
  • Voyager 2 and its twin launched in 1977, called Voyager 1, rely on a form of nuclear battery known as a radioisotope thermoelectric generator that uses the heat produced by the decay of plutonium.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Tritium undergoes radioactive decay, emitting particles that can degrade porous materials over time.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of decay
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Verb
  • Other microbes recycle nutrients by decomposing dead plants and animals, fix atmospheric nitrogen into forms that plants can use, and form essential partnerships with roots, insects, and other organisms.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Many unanswered questions remain after 56 decomposing bodies were found inside a Chicago funeral home last week.
    — Megan De Mar, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of decomposing
Noun
  • Now the rot is right there on the surface; the people smiling are less likely to be clueless optimists than the people who are happy about the rot, or profiting from it.
    — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Joe is a knowing witness to and participant in the rot at the heart of Western Civilization.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of rot
Adjective
  • Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, the centerpieces of the offseason moves, are battling nagging injuries.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, even better than the Dodgers, particularly if Shohei Ohtani is unable to return to pitching thanks to his nagging knee injury.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of nagging

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festering
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Cite this Entry

“Festering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festering. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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