fester

[ fes-ter ]

/ ˈfɛs tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fester ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to form pus; generate purulent matter; suppurate.

to cause ulceration, as a foreign body in the flesh.

to putrefy or rot.

to rankle, as a feeling of resentment.

verb (used with object)

to cause to rankle: Malice festered his spirit.

noun

an ulcer; a rankling sore.

a small, purulent, superficial sore.

Nearby words

Origin of fester

1350–1400; (noun) Middle English festir, festre < Anglo-French, Old French festre < Latin fistula fistula (for -l- > -r- cf. chapter); (v.) Middle English festryn, derivative of the noun or < Old French festrir

Related formsun·fes·tered, adjectiveun·fes·ter·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fester

We denied them loans, closed them off in housing projects, redlined their neighborhoods, and left them to fester.
The Flaw in My Brother’s Keeper|Jamelle Bouie|February 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I've tried to forget the grudges, the painful memories, the resentments I allowed to fester in my heart for so long.
How 'The Little Way of Ruthie Leming' Taught Me It's OK to Love My Hometown|Justin Green|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But they will leave the country rudderless, the victory will be hollow, and the problems will be left to fester.
Ryan Budget Plan Sounds Good But Lacks Substance|Zachary Karabell|August 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Jewish refugees were absorbed in Israel and the West; the Palestinians were left to fester in camps.
Denigrating Jewish Refugees|Lyn Julius|August 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST

It is this length of time during which the allegations were allowed to fester that is so puzzling.
James Murdoch Lightly Grilled by Parliament on Phone Hacking|Geoffrey Robertson|November 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST
She bound her sorrow tight up in her breast, to corrode and fester there.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 8, January, 1851|Various
The fingers, after being drawn in like claws, begin to fester.
Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands|Charles Nordhoff
There remained the question of the North-Western boundary to fester into a sore.
The Life of Albert Gallatin|Henry Adams
It is far better to throw these differences open to the assembly of nations than to permit them to fester in silent danger.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various
“And reckless,” added Mr. Fester, with a wooden appreciation that was his nearest approach to a smile.
Young Wallingford|George Randolph Chester

British Dictionary definitions for fester

fester

/ (ˈfɛstə) /

verb

to form or cause to form pus

(intr) to become rotten; decay

to become or cause to become bitter, irritated, etc, esp over a long period of time; rankleresentment festered his imagination

(intr) informal to be idle or inactive

noun

a small ulcer or sore containing pus

Word Origin for fester

C13: from Old French festre suppurating sore, from Latin: fistula

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fester

fester

late 14c., from Old French festre "small sore discharging pus," from Latin fistula "pipe, ulcer" (see fistula). The noun is from c.1300. Related: Festered; festering.

Medicine definitions for fester

fester

[ fĕs′tər ]

v.

To ulcerate.

To form pus; putrefy.

n.

An ulcer.

fester

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of fester

Examples from the Web for fester

fester

verb

noun

Word Origin for fester

fester

fester

v.

n.