pest
noun
an annoying or troublesome person, animal, or thing; nuisance.
pest
1 American
[pest]
/ pɛst /
Pest
2
American
[pest, pesht]
/ pɛst, pɛʃt /
noun
pest
British
/ pɛst /
noun
-
a person or thing that annoys, esp by imposing itself when it is not wanted; nuisance
-
-
any organism that damages crops, injures or irritates livestock or man, or reduces the fertility of land
-
( as modifier )
pest control
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-
rare an epidemic disease or pestilence
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pest
First recorded in 1545–55, pest is from the Latin word pestis plague
Explanation
A pest is something or someone that bugs you. That annoying mosquito that keeps you up at night is a pest, and so is that younger brother who wants to control the TV remote. An unwanted, bothersome person is a pest — and so is an unwanted, bothersome bug. In fact, the "destructive or harmful insect" definition came before "annoying person," following the "plague or pestilence" meaning of pest. The Latin root is pestis, "deadly contagious disease." During the Late Middle Ages, when the bubonic plague killed a third of all humans, it was commonly known as "the pest."
Vocabulary lists containing pest
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some pest sprays have already been used in tent camps to combat the growing menace from bugs.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
As another bright spot, there’s no shortage of bugs — and pest control companies are looking for employees.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
We have to get access to units occasionally for pest control and I’m always astonished with what’s inside.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
In this method, pest control workers drill into infested wood, reach the termite "gallery" or hiding area, and inject insecticide directly inside.
From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026
The dead man in Yossarian’s tent was a pest, and Yossarian didn’t like him, even though he had never seen him.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
