pest

¹ American  

[pest] / pɛst /

noun

1. an annoying or troublesome person, animal, or thing; nuisance.

   Synonyms:

   annoyance

2. an insect or other small animal that harms or destroys garden plants, trees, etc.

3. a deadly epidemic disease, especially a plague; pestilence.

   Synonyms:

   epidemic, scourge, pandemic

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Pest ² American  

[pest, pesht] / pɛst, pɛʃt /

noun

1. Budapest

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pest British  

/ pɛst /

noun

1. a person or thing that annoys, esp by imposing itself when it is not wanted; nuisance

2. 1. any organism that damages crops, injures or irritates livestock or man, or reduces the fertility of land

   2. ( as modifier )

      pest control

3. rare an epidemic disease or pestilence

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Other Word Forms

• de-pest verb (used with object)

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."

Example Sentences

They are widely seen as a pest on agricultural land because their tunnelling can damage the root systems of crops and pasture and the molehills can cause damage to machinery.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

The pest control company’s fourth-quarter earnings missed analysts’ expectations as cooler weather and a challenging macroeconomic environment weighed on demand for its services.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Ghanem left His Way Spirit Led Assemblies in April 2023, moved home to Nashville and founded his own pest control company, his sister Jennifer Ghanem told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

That means ensuring they are well watered, properly mulched, kept safe from harm from construction projects or digging, and are treated for potential pest infestations, says Brunner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Whenever insecticides are applied only minimum dosages are used — barely enough to control the pest without avoidable harm to beneficial species.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• blight
• bug
• contagion
• epidemic
• infection
• plague
• scourge
• virus