pestiferous
- adjective
- /ˌpɛstəˈfɛrəs/
- Literature
:
pestilente
- The pestiferous conditions after the flood led to an outbreak of illness in the town.
Examples
-
Even South Carolina was in danger, continually galled by rovers and cruisers from that pestiferous nest.
Academic text (2014) -
Heat-treating papayas ensures that pestiferous fruit flies can't hitchhike to vulnerable farms, orchards, and backyard gardens on the U.S. mainland.
Academic text (1998) -
The pestiferous water in the old pond made the area unsafe to swim in.
-
We noticed that the pestiferous insects were spreading disease among the crops.
Synonyms
76
3.9
A disease that can spread from one person to another
14
9.1
Very harmful and able to cause disease that spreads quickly
5
7.0
Able to cause disease in people, animals or plants
1
9.9
Causing or spreading a serious disease among many people
1
7.4
Able to make people sick and spread disease
Likely to cause a serious illness that spreads quickly
Likely to spread quickly and cause a disease outbreak
Something that becomes unsafe because it touches something dirty or harmful
Antonyms
How Infectious
- Literature
1
9.9
- Literature
- Specialized
76
3.9
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Pestiferous comes from Latin pestis ('plague') and -fer ('to carry'), so it literally meant 'plague-carrying'. That's why we still use it for things likely to spread disease or infection.