pestilent

American  

[pes-tl-uhnt] / ˈpɛs tl ənt /

adjective

1. producing or tending to produce infectious or contagious, often epidemic, disease; pestilential.

2. destructive to life; deadly; poisonous.

3. injurious to peace, morals, etc.; pernicious.

4. troublesome, annoying, or mischievous.

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pestilent British  

/ ˈpɛstɪlənt /

adjective

1. annoying; irritating

2. highly destructive morally or physically; pernicious

3. infected with or likely to cause epidemic or infectious disease

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Other Word Forms

• antipestilent
  adjective
• antipestilently
  adverb
• nonpestilent
  adjective
• nonpestilently
  adverb
• pestilently
  adverb
• unpestilent
  adjective
• unpestilently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of pestilent

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin pestilent- (stem of pestilēns ) unhealthy, noxious, alteration of pestilentus, equivalent to pesti- (stem of pestis ) pest + -lentus -lent

Explanation

When something is pestilent, it's contagious and often deadly. At one time, polio was considered to be a pestilent disease in North America. Something harmful that spreads — whether it's an illness or violence or a really bad idea — can be described with the adjective pestilent. The rise of poverty in some places, or the spread of chicken pox among preschoolers, are both pestilent. The Latin origin is pestilentem, which comes from pestilis, "of the nature of a plague," with its root of pestis, "deadly contagious disease."

Example Sentences

I still remember my Pestilent Defiler revolver and my incendiary Wildcat submachine gun fondly to this day.

From Forbes • May 27, 2015

Pestilent Tilly was always scheming to provoke such evils, and was always threatening his neighbors with a lawsuit.

From Summerfield or, Life on a Farm by Lee, Day Kellogg

Strange winged dragons writhe about These vases, poisoned venoms spout, Impregnate with old Chinese charms; Sealed urns containing mortal harms, They fill the mind with thoughts impure, Pestilent drippings from the ure Of vicious thinkings.

From Sword Blades and Poppy Seed by Lowell, Amy

Pestilent bits of metal suspected of destroying civilization and enlightenment, despite their obvious agency in this incomparable dictionary.

From The Devil's Dictionary by Bierce, Ambrose

Is it possible that the Earth can breede a Monster more pernicious than this most Pestilent Beast?

From The Palace of Pleasure Volume 3 by Painter, William