pestiferous
/ˌpɛsˈtɪfəɹəs/ adjective
- adjective Containing organisms that cause contagious diseases.
- adjective Annoying, vexatious.
Synonyms
pestilent dirty pestilential plaguey corruptive perversive annoying bothersome galling irritating nettlesome pesky pestering plaguy teasing vexatious vexing
Etymology
Mid 15th century, in sense “mischievous, pernicious”, from Latin pestifer (“bearing plague”), from pestis (“plague”) + -fer (“carrying”).
By surface analysis, pesti- + -ferous (“bearing, carrying”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Pest-bearing; pestilential; noxious to health; malignant; infectious; contagious; as, pestiferous bodies. "Poor, pestiferous creatures begging alms." Evelyn. "Unwholesome and pestiferous occupations." Burke.
- adjective Noxious to peace, to morals, or to society; vicious; hurtful; destructive; as, a pestiferous demagogue.
Etymology [L. pestiferus, pestifer; pestis pest + ferre to bear: cf. F. pestifère.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pestiferous”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details