festered

Verb

fester (third-person singular simple present festers, present participle festering, simple past and past participle festered)

1. (intransitive) To become septic; to become rotten.
   • and she for the despyte of her sones dethe wrought by her subtyl craftes that syr Vrre shold neuer be hole but euer his woundes shold one tyme feyster & another tyme blede
     "and she, for the despite of her son’s death, wrought by her subtle crafts that Sir Urre should never be whole, but ever his...1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XIX, Chapter x, leaf 394v

   Synonyms:

   putrefy, rot, decay, decompose

2. (figuratively, intransitive) To worsen, especially due to lack of attention.
   • Deal with the problem immediately; do not let it fester.
3. (transitive) To cause to fester or rankle.
   • For which I burnt in inward sweltring hate, / And festred rankling malice in my breast, / Till I might belke revenge upon his eyes: […]c. 1599–1600, John Marston, Antonios Reuenge. The Second Part. As it hath beene Sundry Times Acted, by the Children of Paules, London: Printed [by Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, and are to be...

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