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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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We start talking about relationships and unhealthy withdrawal and letting things fester to the point that when the emotions come out, it feels abrupt and the other person has no idea what’s going on.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 6, 2026

Psychiatric researchers are referring to the confluence of three characteristics—sycophancy, linguistic alignment and hyperpersonalization—as the “amplification spiral,” suggesting it’s the mechanism by which delusional thinking can fester.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 28, 2026

Salim says that both show the dangers of allowing pride to fester and swell unchecked.

From Salon Jun. 21, 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

It's fascinating to see the incident morph and fester.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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

From MarketWatch Mar. 26, 2026

They allow listeners to call or text questions on WhatsApp, a social media platform especially popular with immigrant communities but where much of the misinformation they see festers.

From Seattle Times Apr. 7, 2024

Given the heavy rainfall and nonporous soil, the waste festers, exposing residents to health risks.

From New York Times May 5, 2023

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

Below us Toronto festers in the evening heat, the trees spreading like worn moss, the lake zinc in the distance.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

The current generation of players have decided now is the time to act on a disagreement that has festered for much of the past two decades.

From BBC May 27, 2026

But an uneasy tension festered behind the fanfare.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 30, 2026

No amount of martyrdom can save his legacy from succumbing to the rot he festered.

From Salon Sep. 21, 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

Wounds festered and got infected at lightning speed in the damp heat.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

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

Nothing would induce her to drag that festering memory into this beautiful mind.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor




Vocabulary lists containing fester


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