as in annoying
causing annoyance
these pestilential little mosquitoes!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pestilential
Here a book worth considering is ‘From third world to first’ - Lee Kwan Yew's first person story of transforming Singapore from a pestilential swamp into a metropolis.
—
Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
But life back then was pretty sketchy and precarious even without pestilential rats running around, unbound.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2023
He is reported to have participated in a pestilential online gun culture, replete with tasteless japing about mass shootings.
—wsj.com, 12 May 2023
This includes whenever there the existence of any malignant, contagious, or pestilential disease in the County, to investigate such report and ascertain, as correctly as possible, the causes which produced such disease, to adopt measures to arrest its progress.
—Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2022
The Spanish flu washed over the world in three pestilential waves during 1918 and 1919.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 23 June 2021
Our national experience with the role of state and local governments in casino gambling should have taught us that there is a world of difference between sensible reform and making government a revenue-seeking partner in a pestilential business.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Dec. 2020
Adding to these burdens were the poor soil and periodic ravages of the pestilential boll weevil.
—Trevor Paulhus, Smithsonian, 19 Sep. 2019
Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
But life back then was pretty sketchy and precarious even without pestilential rats running around, unbound.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2023
He is reported to have participated in a pestilential online gun culture, replete with tasteless japing about mass shootings.
—wsj.com, 12 May 2023
This includes whenever there the existence of any malignant, contagious, or pestilential disease in the County, to investigate such report and ascertain, as correctly as possible, the causes which produced such disease, to adopt measures to arrest its progress.
—Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2022
The Spanish flu washed over the world in three pestilential waves during 1918 and 1919.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 23 June 2021
Our national experience with the role of state and local governments in casino gambling should have taught us that there is a world of difference between sensible reform and making government a revenue-seeking partner in a pestilential business.
—The Editors, National Review, 7 Dec. 2020
Adding to these burdens were the poor soil and periodic ravages of the pestilential boll weevil.
—Trevor Paulhus, Smithsonian, 19 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pestilential
Adjective
-
Your husband’s petty desire to be right about everything is understandably annoying and somewhat typical behavior.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Dealing with frost on your car may be a nuisance in the winter, but seeds, leaves, and flower petals can be equally as annoying in spring.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Those are frustrating questions to still have about a fifth-year player, but Sorsby could generate some first-round sizzle with a clean 2026 season.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Few things in gardening can be more frustrating than discovering that your favorite plants have been damaged by animals.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Derms say mineral blocks tend to be less irritating for sensitive skin.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Angels fans who had regained some faith in Yusei Kikuchi after last weekend’s encouraging start could only watch with frustration as all of that was wiped away in one disturbing inning.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Most disturbing about the Game 3 blowout was not the who, but the how.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pestilential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pestilential. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
