pes·tif·er·ous (p -st f r- s)adj.1. a. Producing or breeding infectious disease. b. Infected with or contaminated by an epidemic disease. 2. Morally evil or deadly; pernicious. 3. Bothersome; annoying.
[Middle English, from Latin pestiferus, variant of pestifer : pestis, pestilence; see pest + -fer, -fer.]
pes·tif er·ous·ly adv. pes·tif er·ous·ness n. |
pestiferous [pɛˈstɪfərəs]adj1. Informal troublesome; irritating 2. (Medicine / Pathology) breeding, carrying, or spreading infectious disease 3. corrupting; pernicious [from Latin pestifer, from pestis contagious disease, pest + ferre to bring] pestiferously adv pestiferousness n
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Adj. | 1. | pestiferous - contaminated with infecting organisms; "dirty wounds"; "obliged to go into infected rooms"- Jane Austeninfected, septic - containing or resulting from disease-causing organisms; "a septic sore throat"; "a septic environment"; "septic sewage" | | 2. | pestiferous - 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" | | 3. | pestiferous - tending to corrupt or pervertevil - morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence"; "evil deeds" | | 4. | pestiferous - causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito"; "swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong"annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, plaguy, vexatious, vexing, plaguey, teasing disagreeable - not to your liking; "a disagreeable situation" |
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