fester
word
/ˈfɛstɝ/
FES-tur
/fˈɛstɐ/
FES-tuh
Definition
To become infected and produce pus, or (for emotions/problems) to grow worse and more painful if not dealt with.
Usage & Nuances
'Fester' is more formal or literary than everyday speech. Used for wounds or for emotions/thoughts that worsen over time. Common with 'let something fester'. Do not use for simple 'rot' or 'decay' of things like food.
Spanish: infectarse - supurar - pudrirse (emociones)Portuguese (BR): inflamar - supurar - apodrecer (sentimentos)Portuguese (PT): inflamar - supurar - apodrecer (sentimentos)Chinese (Simplified): 化脓 - 愤怒恶化Chinese (Traditional): 化膿 - 憤怒惡化Hindi: सड़ना - घाव पकना - मन में घर कर जाना (भावना)Arabic: يتقيح - يتفاقم (مشاعر)Bengali: পেকে ঘা হওয়া - অন্তরে জমে থাকা (অসন্তোষ/ক্রোধ)Russian: гноиться - накапливаться (о чувствах)Japanese: うみがたまる - 心にわだかまるVietnamese: mưng mủ - âm ỉ (cảm xúc/vấn đề)Korean: 곪다 - (감정이) 쌓이다Turkish: iltihaplanmak - için için büyümek (duygu/sorun)Urdu: پکنا - دل میں پلنا (نفرت/غصہ)Indonesian: membusuk (luka) - memendam (perasaan/masalah)
Example Sentences
Angry feelings can fester inside you.
basic
His resentment festered for years before he finally spoke up.
natural
Don’t let mistakes fester — deal with them right away.
natural
If you don’t clean the cut, it might fester.
basic
Old wounds can fester if not treated.
basic
Letting small problems fester just makes things worse later.
natural