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Definitions

fester

[fes-ter] / ˈfɛs tər /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Given your reaction, I don’t believe it’s a good idea to let this fester.

From MarketWatch Jul. 1, 2026

But it doesn’t get better if we just leave the bubble to fester.

From Salon Jun. 22, 2026

In the San Fernando Valley case, Internal Affairs investigators reported turning up an “overwhelming pattern of intentional policy violations” by the officers involved, and said poor management allowed a “rampant culture of misconduct” to fester.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 4, 2026

In April, the government shared their update of the Women's Health Strategy, when Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they wanted to "dismantle the culture and ingrained behaviours that allow medical misogyny to fester and grow".

From BBC May 11, 2026

His father knew every place in the boy where a word would fester.

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck

By your early 70s, the anxiety festers and grows.

From MarketWatch Mar. 26, 2026

Journalists who joined the patrol also witnessed what life has been like for the Philippine Coast Guard as the South China Sea dispute festers.

From BBC Apr. 28, 2023

“A reservoir of resentment grows and festers and it shatters the trust and confidence that members of the community have in law enforcement,” Armour said.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 16, 2022

The trial will revisit one of the most searing manifestations of how hatred and intolerance that festers online can spread onto the streets.

From New York Times Nov. 2, 2021

Now everything resonates, sticks like a splinter, festers.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

The “ignominy” of missing action, we are told, remained a “badge of shame” that festered for the rest of his life, “driving him to seek reckless vindication” in confrontations with other men of his class.

From The Wall Street Journal May 4, 2026

Peace proposals and presidents have come and gone but the problems have festered.

From BBC Feb. 5, 2025

This zinging back-and-forth is also in evidence in the film, in which these sisters metaphorically tear each other apart and then try to heal the wounds that have festered.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 9, 2024

Wilson’s lead is a working-class Black man, a former Negro league superstar whose dreams festered when baseball’s color barrier prevented him from rising into the big leagues.

From Salon Sep. 12, 2024

His arms, poisoned by the sap, had festered and were seeping, swollen, and hot.

From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry

As earnings season gets under way, festering worries about artificial-intelligence stocks could be put to bed.

From MarketWatch Jul. 15, 2026

But with little progress on the issues festering and so much riding on their relationship, any reprieve could be temporary—and the space for surprises large.

From Barron's May 12, 2026

The insanity of investing in a new playground when a dozen festering issues make the park unsafe should be crystal clear to one and all.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 18, 2026

Behind Altman’s “code red” declaration, however, are tensions between camps inside the company that have been festering for years, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 9, 2025

The brisk air of spring did not dispel the stench of engine oil and festering wounds.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan




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