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Definitions

fester

[fes-ter] / ˈfɛs tər /
VERB
intensify; become inflamed
Synonyms
STRONGEST
smolder
STRONG
aggravate blister canker chafe decay gall gather irk maturate putrefy rankle rot suppurate ulcer ulcerate
Antonyms
STRONG
build delight flourish grow improve make happy please
WEAK
dissipate get better heal lessen

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.

Webb was able to take on some of Hong Kong’s most powerful constituencies and castigate regulatory authorities for letting corporate governance issues fester.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Sweeping contentious issues under the rug and relegating them to wanton aggravation is one major way of letting these same topics fester.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

"I think for everybody there was an element of it was going to happen because antisemitism has been allowed to grow and fester and become normalised," Finlay said.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

The company is “kind of letting it fester now,” with the potential for the narrative to drag into next week, he added.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025

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

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon