PEST: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PEST? (2024)

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Need another word that means the same as “pest”? Find 24 synonyms and 30 related words for “pest” in this overview.

Table Of Contents:

  • Pest as a Noun
  • Definitions of "Pest" as a noun
  • Synonyms of "Pest" as a noun (24 Words)
  • Usage Examples of "Pest" as a noun
  • Associations of "Pest" (30 Words)

The synonyms of “Pest” are: pestilence, plague, blighter, cuss, gadfly, pesterer, pestis, nuisance, bother, annoyance, irritation, irritant, thorn in one's flesh, thorn in one's side, vexation, trial, the bane of one's life, menace, curse, problem, trouble, worry, inconvenience, bore

Pest as a Noun

Definitions of "Pest" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pest” as a noun can have the following definitions:

  • A destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc.
  • A persistently annoying person.
  • A serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal.
  • An annoying person or thing; a nuisance.
  • Bubonic plague.
  • Any epidemic disease with a high death rate.
  • Any unwanted and destructive insect or other animal that attacks food or crops or livestock etc.

Synonyms of "Pest" as a noun (24 Words)

annoyanceSomething or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness.
There was annoyance at government interference.
blighterA persistently annoying person.
You little blighter.
boreA person who evokes boredom.
He shot a guard in the leg with a twelve bore.
botherEffort, trouble, or difficulty.
A spot of bother.
curseAn offensive word or phrase used to express anger or annoyance.
At every blow there was a curse.
cussAn annoying or stubborn person or animal.
He was certainly an unsociable cuss.
gadflyAny of various large flies that annoy livestock.
Always a gadfly he attacked intellectual orthodoxies.
inconvenienceThe state or fact of being troublesome or difficult with regard to one’s personal requirements or comfort.
The inconveniences of life in a remote city.
irritantA thing that is continually annoying or distracting.
In 1966 Vietnam was becoming an irritant to the government.
irritationThe stimulation of an organism, cell, or organ to produce an active response.
The minor irritations of life.
menaceA person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger.
A new initiative aimed at beating the menace of drugs.
nuisance(law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive.
It s a nuisance having all those people clomping through the house.
pestererA persistently annoying person.
pestilenceA serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal.
Racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation.
pestisA serious sometimes fatal infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal.
plagueA contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium typically with the formation of buboes bubonic plague and sometimes infection of the lungs pneumonic plague.
A plague of grasshoppers.
problemA state of difficulty that needs to be resolved.
The problem of ageism in Hollywood.
the bane of one's lifeSomething causing misery or death.
thorn in one's fleshSomething that causes irritation and annoyance.
thorn in one's sideA small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf.
trial(sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications.
The editor was summoned to stand trial for libel.
troubleThe malfunction of something such as a machine or a part of the body.
He won without any trouble.
vexationSomething or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness.
Jenna bit her lip in vexation.
worryA source of anxiety.
He s demented with worry.

Usage Examples of "Pest" as a noun

  • He sprayed the garden to get rid of pests.
  • Pest control.
  • The tomato plant attracts a pest called whitefly.
  • An effective method for controlling insect pests.
  • Many pests have developed resistance to the common pesticides.
  • He was a real pest.

Associations of "Pest" (30 Words)

antA small insect typically having a sting and living in a complex social colony with one or more breeding queens. It is wingless except for fertile adults, which form large mating swarms, and is proverbial for its industriousness.
aphidAny of various small plant-sucking insects.
arachnidRelating to or denoting arachnids.
beeAn insect of a large group to which the honeybee belongs including many solitary as well as social kinds.
A sewing bee.
bugConceal a miniature microphone in (a room or device) in order to listen to or record someone’s conversations secretly.
They caught the sailing bug.
butterflyFlutter like a butterfly.
A butterfly clip.
caterpillarA vehicle with caterpillar tracks.
co*ckroachA scavenging insect that resembles a beetle, having long antennae and legs and typically a broad, flattened body. Several tropical kinds have become established worldwide as household pests.
dragonflySlender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc.
earthwormTerrestrial worm that burrows into and helps aerate soil; often surfaces when the ground is cool or wet; used as bait by anglers.
exterminatorA person whose job is to eradicate pests from a building or area; a pest controller.
He became an exterminator of pumas tracking them down in dark caverns.
fleaAny wingless bloodsucking parasitic insect noted for ability to leap.
gadflyA fly that bites livestock, especially a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly.
Always a gadfly he attacked intellectual orthodoxies.
grasshopperA plant-eating insect with long hind legs which are used for jumping and for producing a chirping sound, frequenting grassy places and low vegetation.
hornetLarge stinging paper wasp.
houseflyA common small fly occurring worldwide in and around human habitation. Its eggs are laid in decaying material, and the fly can be a health hazard due to its contamination of food.
insectA small arthropod animal that has six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings.
Insect pests.
insectivorous(of a plant such as the sundew) able to capture and digest insects.
louseA person who has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect.
miteAny of numerous very small to minute arachnids often infesting animals or plants or stored foods.
mosquitoTwo-winged insect whose female has a long proboscis to pierce the skin and suck the blood of humans and animals.
mothA clothes moth.
I store my sweaters in plastic bags to protect them from moths.
nitA luminance unit equal to 1 candle per square meter measured perpendicular to the rays from the source.
You stupid nit.
pesticideA chemical used to kill pests (as rodents or insects.
plagueA contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium typically with the formation of buboes bubonic plague and sometimes infection of the lungs pneumonic plague.
He has been plagued by ill health.
scorpionUsed in names of arachnids and insects resembling a scorpion e g false scorpion water scorpion.
spiderMove in a scuttling manner suggestive of a spider.
A treecreeper spidered head first down the tree trunk.
tarantulaA large black wolf spider of southern Europe, whose bite was formerly believed to cause tarantism.
termiteA small, pale soft-bodied insect that lives in large colonies with several different castes, typically within a mound of cemented earth. Many kinds feed on wood and can be highly destructive to trees and timber.
wormUsed in names of other animals that resemble worms in some way e g slow worm shipworm.
Worms take advantage of automatic file sending and receiving features found on many computers.
PEST: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PEST? (2024)

FAQs

What is a word similar to pest? ›

Synonyms: virus , germ, insect pest, bug , destructive animal, disease , plague , rot. Sense: A nuisance. Synonyms: bother , vexation, thorn in the side, annoyance , trouble , irritation, pain in the arse, bore.

What is the word of pest? ›

an annoying or troublesome person, animal, or thing; nuisance. Synonyms: annoyance. an insect or other small animal that harms or destroys garden plants, trees, etc. a deadly epidemic disease, especially a plague; pestilence. Synonyms: epidemic, scourge, pandemic.

What is a synonym for the word peste? ›

peste (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜐ᜔ᜆᜒ) pest; plague; pestilence synonyms ▲ Synonyms: salot, epidemya. pest; vermin (destructive insect or small animal) synonym ▲ Synonym: salot. (vulgar) pest; vermin (obnoxious person) synonyms ▲ Synonyms: asungot, buwisit, sakit sa ulo, salot.

What is a name for a pest? ›

synonyms: blighter, cuss, gadfly, pesterer. types: nudnick, nudnik. (Yiddish) someone who is a boring pest. type of: persecutor, tormenter, tormentor. someone who torments.

What is a synonym for pest invasion? ›

infestation (noun as in plague) Strongest matches. contagion curse epidemic infection influenza invasion outbreak pandemic scourge.

Are bugs and pests the same? ›

Insects can live in the most extreme climates and are found in essentially all parts of the world. A pest is any living creature that is undesirable due to a negative trait or behavior. Pests can be vertebrates, including rodents and birds or invertebrates, such as insects and even some harmful plants.

What is the root word for pest? ›

After all, you probably don't know that the word 'pest' comes from the Latin word pestis meaning 'plague.

What is a pest and example? ›

A pest is any living thing—a plant, an animal, or a microorganism—that has a negative effect on humans. It can be an unwanted plant (weed), fungi, nematode, microbe (such as bacteria or virus), insect, spider, mite, bird, fish, rodent, or even a deer.

What is the opposite of pest? ›

The opposite of a pest: Bees, wasps and other beneficial bugs.

What is the French kind of boredom and world weariness? ›

The French loanword ennui comes from the very same Late Latin word that gave us annoy — inodiare ("to make loathsome"). We borrowed ennui several centuries after absorbing annoy into the language. Ennui deals more with boredom than irritation - and a somewhat specific sort of boredom at that.

What is the synonym of word? ›

word (noun as in unit of language) Strongest matches. concept expression name phrase sound term. Strong matches. designation idiom lexeme locution morpheme usage utterance vocable.

What is the word for a lot of insects? ›

Usually, they're called swarms, but in the cases of social insects like bees, termites and ants, they're called colonies or hives.

What are pest killers called? ›

Pesticides (chemicals used for killing pests, such as rodents, insects, or plants)

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