pestilential Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease
    plaguey; pestiferous; pestilent.
    • a pestilential malignancy in the air"- Jonathan Swift
    • plaguey fevers

WordNet

Pes`ti*len"tial adjective
Etymology
Cf. F. pestilentiel.
Definitions
  1. Having the nature or qualities of a pestilence. "Sends the pestilential vapors." Longfellow.
  2. Hence: Mischievous; noxious; pernicious; morally destructive.
    So pestilential, so infectious a thing is sin. Jer. Taylor.

Webster 1913