1
: an epidemic disease associated with high mortality
specifically
: plague
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns (such as agriculture or livestock production)
Examples of pest in a Sentence
These insects are pests for farmers.
mice and other household pests
You're being a real pest. Would you leave us alone, please?
Recent Examples on the Web
Common Pests & Plant Diseases Insect pests of camellias include tea scales and aphids, both of which produce a waste product called honeydew that encourages sooty mold to grow on the foliage.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Seventy years later, our arsenal for controlling pests has grown and diversified.
—Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024
But many experts – yes, even pest control businesses – caution homeowners to exercise a little restraint.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
Starting in the late 1800s people discovered that chemicals, such as copper sulfate, could prevent a pest from causing crop damage.
—Steven Savage, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pest 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Seventy years later, our arsenal for controlling pests has grown and diversified.
—Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024
But many experts – yes, even pest control businesses – caution homeowners to exercise a little restraint.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
Starting in the late 1800s people discovered that chemicals, such as copper sulfate, could prevent a pest from causing crop damage.
—Steven Savage, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pest
Dictionary Entries Near pest
Cite this Entry
“Pest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pest. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pest
noun1
: an epidemic disease which causes a large number of deaths
especially
: plague entry 1 sense 2
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal harmful to human beings or human concerns (as agriculture)
3
: one that pesters or annoys : nuisance
Medical Definition
pest
noun1
: an epidemic disease associated with high mortality
specifically
: plague sense 2
2
: something resembling a pest in destructiveness
especially
: a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share