pestilence

[ pes-tl-uhns ]
See synonyms for pestilence on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a deadly or virulent epidemic disease.

  1. something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil.

Origin of pestilence

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin pestilentia, from pestilent-, stem of pestilēns “unhealthy, noxious” (see pestilent) + -ia -y3

Other words from pestilence

  • an·ti·pes·ti·lence, adjective

Words Nearby pestilence

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How to use pestilence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pestilence

pestilence

/ (ˈpɛstɪləns) /


noun
    • any epidemic outbreak of a deadly and highly infectious disease, such as the plague

    • such a disease

  1. an evil influence or idea

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012