What does pest mean?
A pest is something unwelcome that causes annoyance, damage, or disease. The word most often describes an irritating person, especially one who repeatedly demands attention or refuses to leave someone alone. It can also refer to troublesome organisms such as insects, rodents, weeds, or crop-damaging animals. Used as a verb, 'pest' means to annoy or disturb someone persistently, and it is especially common in informal speech. Although the modern word can refer to a trivial personal irritant, its history is serious: it developed from Latin 'pestis,' meaning plague or infectious disease, through Old French. The word therefore carries a faint suggestion of something persistent and troublesome, whether an individual nuisance, an unwanted organism, or, in older usage, a devastating epidemic. Today it is useful because it combines both a literal sense and a broad figurative sense of unwanted trouble.
An unwelcome or irritating person, or an organism that causes damage, discomfort, or disease.
"His younger brother had always been a pest whenever the family tried to relax."
The figurative sense is common and often mild or humorous.
To annoy, bother, or persistently demand the attention of someone.
"Reporters pestered him for a comment as he left the court."
Informal; often used with 'with' followed by a noun or clause.
Used for multiple annoying people, damaging organisms, or other forms of nuisance.
"Floodlights and noise can discourage some nocturnal pests."
From the Latin for deadly plague, 'pest' grew from a scourge that could wipe out communities to a word for anything irritating enough to make you say, 'Leave me alone!'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pest come from?
The English noun entered through Old French 'peste' from Latin 'pestis,' meaning plague, contagious disease, or ruin. The original sense was an epidemic disease, while figurative uses for destructive persons and organisms developed over time. Related forms include 'pestilence,' 'pestilent,' and 'pesticide,' while 'pester' developed from the same word with the suffix '-er.'
Related word forms
How pest is actually used
The noun is common in everyday speech and is often mildly humorous rather than severely hostile. The verb is informal and typically takes a person as its object, as in 'pest someone with questions.'
Easily confused with pest
A pest is an unwanted organism or annoying person, whereas a pestilence is a widespread and devastating epidemic disease.