pestiferous

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. adjective contaminated with infecting organisms; ; - Jane Austen
  2. adjective likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease; - Jonathan Swift
  3. adjective tending to corrupt or pervert

Etymology

Mid 15th century, in sense “mischievous, pernicious”, from Latin pestiferus (“bearing plague”), from pestifer, from pestis (“plague”) + ferre (“carry”) (see infer). By surface analysis, pest + -i- (“bearing, carrying”) + -ferous.

In classic literature

Synonyms

dirty

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