pestilent
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pes·ti·lent
(pĕs′tə-lənt)adj.
1.
a. Causing or likely to cause epidemic disease: a pestilent swamp.
b. Infectious or epidemic: a pestilent disease.
c. Archaic Tending to cause death; deadly.
2. Morally or socially harmful; pernicious: pestilent writings.
3. Causing annoyance or disapproval: a pestilent fool.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pestilēns, pestilent-, from pestis, pestilence; see pest.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pestilent
(ˈpɛstɪlənt)adj
1. annoying; irritating
2. highly destructive morally or physically; pernicious
3. (Pathology) infected with or likely to cause epidemic or infectious disease
[C15: from Latin pestilens unwholesome, from pestis plague]
ˈpestilently adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pes•ti•lent
(ˈpɛs tl ənt)adj.
1. producing or tending to produce infectious or contagious, often epidemic, disease; pestilential.
2. destructive to life; deadly.
3. injurious to peace, morals, etc.; pernicious.
4. troublesome or annoying.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin pestilent- (s. of pestilēns) unhealthy, noxious, alter. of pestilentus=pesti- (s. of pestis) plague, pest + -lentus -lent]
pes′ti•lent•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Adj. | 1. | ![]() noxious - injurious to physical or mental health; "noxious chemical wastes"; "noxious ideas" |
2. | pestilent - likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease; "a pestilential malignancy in the air"- Jonathan Swift; "plaguey fevers" epidemic - (especially of medicine) of disease or anything resembling a disease; attacking or affecting many individuals in a community or a population simultaneously; "an epidemic outbreak of influenza" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pestilent
adjectiveExtremely destructive or harmful:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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