# die Pest

die Pest is a German noun meaning “bubonic plague”. Forms: der Pest.

## Forms

- Genitive: der Pest

## In other languages

- Русский: мед. чума
- Українська: чума

## Noun

1. bubonic plague, the plague
   - Die Pest wütete besonders in den Städten. — The plague devastated especially towns and cities.
2. _in-compounds_ any of various unrelated epidemic diseases affecting animals
3. _figurative_ anything that negatively affects vast areas, especially a natural disaster
   - Ölpest — oil spill
4. _figurative · colloquial_ anything terrible or odious
   - die Wahl zwischen Pest und Cholera — a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea
5. _no plural_ plague; pestilence
   - „In wichtigen Fragen hat man meist zwischen Pest und Cholera zu wählen.“ - (Dean Acheson)

## Proper name

1. Pest (a quarter in Budapest, Hungary)

## Examples

- 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.
- 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.

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Sources: Meanings and forms from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR).
URL: https://wordwide.space/de-en/wort/Pest