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Pest vs Lest - What's the difference?

pest | lest |

As a noun pest

is plague.

As a conjunction lest is

for fear that; that not; in order that not; in case.

pest

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (originally) A plague, pestilence, epidemic
  • An annoying, harmful, often destructive creature.
  • An annoying person.
  • (British, slang) Someone with poor social discipline who continually bothers uninterested women.
    • Stop being such a pest and leave that girl alone!

    Synonyms

    * (creature ) bug

    Related terms

    * pester * pesthole * pesthouse * pesticidal, pesticide * pestiferous * pestilence, pestilent, pestilential

    Anagrams

    * * * ----

    lest

    English

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • For fear that; that . . . not; in order that . . . not; in case.
  • * '>citation
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-27, volume=408, issue=8846, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Lunacy? , passage=Lest any astrologer reading this result get cocky, Dr Cajochen does not believe that what he has found is directly influenced by the Moon through, say, some tidal effect. What he thinks he has discovered is an additional hand on the body’s clock-face.}}
  • That (without the negative particle); – after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}

    Usage notes

    The word lest is always followed by the , usually in either the present or future tense. For example: Lest they be captured, the soldiers fled from the battlefield. The future subjunctive would simply employ the auxiliary word should .

    Synonyms

    * (for fear that) (informal)

    See also

    * judge not lest ye be judged * in case * lest we forget

    Anagrams

    * * *

    References

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