Pronunciation: /pɛst/

Definitions of pest

noun a destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc.

Example Sentences

A1 I saw a pest in the kitchen.

A2 The pest control company came to spray for bugs.

B1 The garden was overrun with pests, so we had to use insecticide.

B2 Rats can be a major pest in urban areas.

C1 The invasive species has become a serious pest in the ecosystem.

C2 The government is implementing new policies to control agricultural pests.

adjective annoying or harmful

Example Sentences

A1 I don't like pests in my house.

A2 She sprayed pest repellent to keep insects away.

B1 The garden was overrun with pests, destroying the crops.

B2 The pest control company was called in to deal with the infestation.

C1 The scientist studied the behavior of pests in agricultural ecosystems.

C2 The invasive species was considered a major pest to the local environment.

Examples of pest in a Sentence

formal The farmers are using pesticides to control the pest population in their fields.

informal I saw a pest in the kitchen and had to call the exterminator.

slang That guy is such a pest, always bothering everyone.

figurative Negative thoughts can be like pests, constantly buzzing around and bothering us.

Grammatical Forms of pest

past tense

pested

plural

pests

comparative

more pest

superlative

most pest

present tense

pests

future tense

will pest

perfect tense

have pested

continuous tense

is pesting

singular

pest

positive degree

pest

infinitive

to pest

gerund

pestering

participle

pesting

Origin and Evolution of pest

First Known Use: 1300 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'pest' originated from the Latin word 'pestis' which meant plague or pestilence.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'pest' has evolved to refer to a troublesome or destructive person, animal, or thing, in addition to its original meaning of a deadly epidemic disease.