What does "fester" mean?
A fistula.
Fester
/ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A fistula.
- Grammar: fester is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: suppurate, abscess, abscessed, abscesses.
- Useful contrasts: abate, address, ameliorate.
- Usage evidence: Don't allow anger to grow and fester in your heart.
How to use "fester"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fester" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fester" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fester" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fester" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fester" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "suppurate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fester", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fistula. obsolete
- 2 a sore that has become inflamed and formed pus wordnet
- 3 A sore or an ulcer of the skin.
"The larger the Spider, the warmer the climate or season of the year, and the more susceptible the wounded individual, so much worse will the effects be; and it is no therefore no wonder that people who would have a fester from a simple prick with a needle, should feel more violent effects from the bite of a Spider."
- 4 The condition of something that festers; a festering; a festerment.
Verb
- 1 To become septic; to become rotten. intransitive
"and she for the despyte of her sones dethe wrought by her subtyl craftes that syr Vrre shold neuer be hole but euer his woundes shold one tyme feyster & another tyme blede "and she, for the despite of her son’s death, wrought by her subtle crafts that Sir Urre should never be whole, but ever his wounds should one time fester and another time bleed""
- 2 ripen and generate pus wordnet
- 3 To worsen, especially due to lack of attention. intransitive
"Deal with the problem immediately; do not let it fester."
- 4 To cause to fester or rankle. transitive
"For which I burnt in inward sweltring hate, / And festred rankling malice in my breast, / Till I might belke revenge upon his eyes: […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Antonyms
Example
"Don't allow anger to grow and fester in your heart."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fester"?
Common synonyms include: suppurate, abscess, abscessed, abscesses, abscessing, afflict.
How do you use "fester" in a sentence?
Don't allow anger to grow and fester in your heart.
How do you pronounce "fester"?
Pronounced /ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English festre, festur, borrowed from Old French festre (cognate with Italian fistola, Occitan fistola, Spanish fístula), from Latin fistula. The verb is derived from the noun, while the “condition of something that festers” noun sense is derived from the verb. Doublet of fistula.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from German Fester.