Accordingly, the noun fester refers to a sore that forms or discharges pus, while the oldest sense of the verb fester means “to generate pus.” A boil, for example, is a festering infection of a hair follicle.

fig. If a bad situation such as an argument festers, it becomes worse because it is being ignored: It was better that she expressed her anger rather than let it fester inside her.

FESTER definition: to form pus; generate purulent matter; suppurate. See examples of fester used in a sentence.

If you say that a situation, problem, or feeling is festering, you disapprove of the fact that it is being allowed to grow more unpleasant or full of anger, because it is not being properly recognized or dealt …

Definition of fester verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Jan 20, 2026 · fester (third-person singular simple present festers, present participle festering, simple past and past participle festered) (intransitive) To become septic; to become rotten.

fester, v. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary