pestilent

[ pes-tl-uhnt ]

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.

pestilent

/ ˈpɛstɪlənt /

adjective

1. annoying; irritating
2. highly destructive morally or physically; pernicious
3. infected with or likely to cause epidemic or infectious disease

Derived Forms

• ˈpestilently, adverb

Other Words From

• pesti·lent·ly adverb
• anti·pesti·lent adjective
• anti·pesti·lent·ly adverb
• non·pesti·lent adjective
• non·pesti·lent·ly adverb
• un·pesti·lent adjective
• un·pesti·lent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pestilent¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pestilent¹

C15: from Latin pestilens unwholesome, from pestis plague

Example Sentences

You idle young blackguards, you pestilent oafs, you fools of the first water, write them out.

From Project Gutenberg

You pestilent young jackanapes, do you suppose I haven't noticed your idleness?

From Project Gutenberg

He was accused of being "a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world."

From Project Gutenberg

This man Luther is also accused of being a pestilent fellow who troubles the papacy and the Roman empire.

From Project Gutenberg

Mediocrity had only seen the gawky stripling, with his moonstruck air, and pestilent habit of trying some new crotchet.

From Project Gutenberg