Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FESTER

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explore the archives: "Fester" might remind you of a few other words we've looked at: First, a noun starting with "u" that can refer to a specific medical problem or to anything that interrupts and ruins something else, more and more, as it gets worse. Second, a very intense adjective. It starts with "g," it can refer to a literal (and very serious) physical condition, and it means "rotten: spreading all the way through and ruining things that used to be healthy or good." make your point with... "FESTER" Be warned: the literal meaning here is gross. When a sore or wound festers, it gathers or oozes pus, or it poisons the surrounding areas of the body. So when something figuratively festers, it gets worse and worse, in a way that reminds you of a sore or wound that's spreading instead of healing. Pronunciation: FESS tur Part of speech: Intransitive verb. (Like "sleep," "skydive," and "succeed," all intransitive verbs show complete action on their own and do not do action to an object. You sleep, you skydive, you succeed, and that’s it. You don’t "sleep a bed," "skydive a plane," or "succeed a plan". Likewise, something festers.) Other forms: festered, festering How to use it: Talk about bad feelings that fester (like resentment, jealousy, anger, grief, offense, or frustration). An insult can fester, or any other "wound" that someone inflicted on you can fester. Also, a situation can fester: a crisis, a problem, a mess, chaos, disorder, or poverty can all fester. The point is that the festering feeling or festering situation is getting worse and worse because you aren't doing anything to "heal" it. We'll often follow "fester" with a prepositional phrase: something festers within a person, something festers in silence, something festered throughout that whole winter, etc. And, you can say that something festers into something else, meaning it worsens until it becomes that second thing: "bitterness festered into hatred." examples: In his poem "Harlem," Langston Hughes asks if a "dream deferred" would "fester like a sore." That is, if you fail to pursue your dreams, will they stay hidden within you and start to rot? There's some truth to that very Instagrammable quote about being kind to everyone because they're fighting battles you know nothing about. But I don't believe that we all carry some horrible, hidden, festering issue.  study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fester" means when you can explain it without saying "rankle" or "ulcerate." try it out: Think of something that gets worse if you don't do anything about it, and fill in the blanks: "If you don't (take a specific action), (a certain problem or bad feeling) will only fester." Example: "If you don't find a way to talk about them respectfully, roommate issues will only fester." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. When it comes to word roots, everybody knows what some of them mean, like “ambi/amphi” (“both”) and “circum” (“around”) and “hetero” (“different”). This knowledge helps you explain why words like “automobile” and “autobiography” look similar—in this case, it’s because they both involve the concept of “self.” But what about some of the less obvious roots? Could you explain, for example, why “contain” looks so much like “sustain” by defining “tain”? This month, we're exploring the meanings underlying common words you know. You can usually figure these out by looking for an extremely basic concept common to all the words in each group. We’ll start with easier, more obvious roots and move on to trickier ones as the month goes on! Yesterday's question:  In accent, cantata, concert, and incentive, what does “cant/cent” mean? Answer: To sing.  Try this one today: In abduct, conduct, deduce, educate, induce, and seduce, what does “duc” mean? review today's word: 1. The opposite of FESTER is A. MEND B. MARK C. MOPE 2.  The whole group seemed _____ festering rumors. A. infected with B. affected by C. injected with Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A