pestilential
/ˌpɛstɪˈlɛnʃi.əl/ adjective
- adjective Producing, spreading, promoting or infected with pestilence; causing infection. (of people, animals, places or substances)
- adjective Spreading in the manner of pestilence. (of illnesses)
- adjective Caused by pestilence. (of symptoms) “pestilential fever; pestilential sweating”
- adjective During which pestilence spreads. (of a period of time)
- adjective (figurative) Having a harmful moral effect (especially one that is believed to spread in the manner of pestilence).
- adjective (figurative) Causing irritation or annoyance.
Synonyms
pestiferous pernicious annoying irritating pestilent troublesome vexatious plaguey
Etymology
From Latin pestilentialis, from pestilentia.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having the nature or qualities of a pestilence. "Sends the pestilential vapors." Longfellow.
- adjective Hence: Mischievous; noxious; pernicious; morally destructive.
Etymology [Cf. F. pestilentiel.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pestilential”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details