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German

Meanings

  1. bubonic plague, the plague

    Die Pest wütete besonders in den Städten.The plague devastated especially towns and cities.

  2. in-compoundsany of various unrelated epidemic diseases affecting animals

  3. figurativeanything that negatively affects vast areas, especially a natural disaster

    Ölpestoil spill

  4. figurative · colloquialanything terrible or odious

    die Wahl zwischen Pest und Choleraa choice between the devil and the deep blue sea

  5. no pluralplague; pestilence

    „In wichtigen Fragen hat man meist zwischen Pest und Cholera zu wählen.“ - (Dean Acheson)

1 more meanings

Proper name

  1. Pest (a quarter in Budapest, Hungary)

Examples

GermanEnglish
Die Pest wird vorwiegend von Ratten übertragen.The plague is spread mostly by rats.
Sie mied ihn wie die Pest.She avoided him like the plague.
3 more examples
Die erste Tochter fiel 1576 der Pest zum Opfer.Their first daughter died from the plague in 1576.
Tom meidet mich wie die Pest, seit er meine Brille kaputtgemacht hat.Tom has been avoiding me like the plague ever since he broke my glasses.
Die Pest hat ganze Städte verwüstet.The plague has devastated entire cities.