Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense scourges, present participle scourging, past tense, past participle scourged
1. countable noun
A scourge is something that causes a lot of trouble or suffering to a group of people.
Union chiefs demanded more urgent action to stop the scourge of unemployment. [+ of]
There have been great advances in treatments for global scourges such as cancer andAids.
2. verb
If something scourges a place or group of people, it causes great pain and suffering to people.
Economic anarchy scourged the post-war world. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: afflict, plague, curse, torment More Synonyms of scourge
More Synonyms of scourge
scourge in British English
(skɜːdʒ)
noun
1.
a person who harasses, punishes, or causes destruction
2.
a means of inflicting punishment or suffering
3.
a whip used for inflicting punishment or torture
verb(transitive)
4.
to whip; flog
5.
to punish severely
Derived forms
scourger (ˈscourger)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Anglo-French escorge, from Old French escorgier (unattested) to lash, from es-ex-1 + Latin corrigia whip
scourge in American English
(skɜrdʒ)
noun
1.
a whip or other instrument for flogging
2.
any means of inflicting severe punishment, suffering, or vengeance
3.
any cause of serious trouble or affliction
the scourge of war
verb transitiveWord forms: scourged or ˈscourging
4.
to whip or flog
5.
to punish, chastise, or afflict severely
Word origin
ME < OFr escorgie < L ex, off, from + corrigia, a strap, whip
Examples of 'scourge' in a sentence
scourge
You are the scourge in our society.
The Sun (2010)
This must change if we are to tackle this scourge on our streets.
The Sun (2008)
They cannot afford to become the scourge of their generous donors.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
For tens of thousands of employees it has become the feared scourge of our society.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The police do not seem to have the resources or the will to tackle this new scourge.
The Sun (2012)
Government plans to tackle the scourge will be unveiled this week.
The Sun (2016)
Both gave short speeches on how to tackle the scourge of unemployment and took questions from the apprentices.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In my view, active military intervention was necessary to end this scourge.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The Sun has long campaigned for more to be done to tackle this scourge.
The Sun (2013)
This will help to put a permanent end to the scourge of fuel poverty and bring our homes up to 21st-century standards.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Meeting survivors of domestic abuse and hearing their shocking stories has made me all the more determined to put a stop to this scourge on our society.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It has become the scourge of Cape Town.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Word lists with
scourge
Instruments of torture
In other languages
scourge
British English: scourge NOUN
A scourge is something that causes a lot of trouble or suffering to a group of people.
They want to end the scourge of terrorism.
American English: scourge
Brazilian Portuguese: flagelo
Chinese: 灾难
European Spanish: azote
French: fléau
German: Geißel
Italian: flagello
Japanese: 悩みの種
Korean: 재앙
European Portuguese: flagelo
Latin American Spanish: azote
British English: scourge VERB
If something scourges a place or group of people, it causes great pain and suffering to people.
Economic anarchy scourged the post-war world.
American English: scourge
Brazilian Portuguese: flagelar
Chinese: 折磨
European Spanish: azotar
French: être un fléau pour
German: heimsuchen
Italian: affliggere
Japanese: 害悪をもたらす
Korean: 고통을 안기다
European Portuguese: flagelar
Latin American Spanish: azotar
1 (noun)
Definition
a person who or thing that causes affliction or suffering
Vandalism is a scourge that is ruining our beautiful town.
Synonyms
affliction
Hay fever is an affliction that arrives at an early age.
plague (informal)
the cynicism which is the plague of our generation
curse
She has worked hard to reverse the curse of racism.
terror
my dreams were haunted with terrors last night
pest
all kinds of pests like flies and mosquitoes
bacterial, fungal, and viral pests of the plants themselves
torment
the torments of being a writer
misfortune
visitation
bane
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
infliction
Opposites
benefit
,
blessing
,
boon
,
favour
,
gift
,
godsend
2 (noun)
Definition
a whip formerly used for punishing people
a heavy scourge with a piece of iron lashed into its knot
Synonyms
whip
traders who carried guns and whips
lash
They forced him to run while flogging him with a lash.
thong
switch
strap
Nancy gripped the strap of her beach bag.
cat-o'-nine-tails
1 (verb)
Definition
to cause severe suffering to
Economic anarchy scourged the post-war world.
Synonyms
afflict
There are four main problems that afflict these people.
plague
She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.
curse
I am cursed with a bad memory.
torment
At times, memories returned to torment her.
harass
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
terrorize
excoriate
2 (verb)
Definition
to whip
They were scourging him severely.
Synonyms
whip
Eyewitnesses claimed he whipped the horse up to 16 times.
beat
He lost the boxing match and was badly beaten by his opponent.
lash
The punishment for stealing bread is five lashes.
thrash
He was thrashed with a cane until his skin turned red.
discipline
He was disciplined by his company, but not dismissed.
belt (informal)
Is it true that she belted George in the stomach?
leather
They leathered me because they thought I could tell them where she'd gone.
punish
George has never had to punish the children.
whale
cane
flog
He never flogs his horse no matter how slowly she goes.
trounce
Australia trounced France by sixty points to four.
castigate
She castigated him for having no intellectual interests.
wallop (informal)
She walloped me over the head with a cushion.
chastise
lather (informal)
horsewhip
tan (someone's) hide (slang)
take a strap to
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bane
Definition
a person or thing that causes misery or distress
Spots can be the bane of a teenager.
Synonyms
plague (informal),
bête noire,
trial,
disaster,
evil,
ruin,
burden,
destruction,
despair,
misery,
curse,
pest,
torment,
woe,
nuisance,
downfall,
calamity,
scourge,
affliction
in the sense of beat
Definition
to strike with a series of violent blows
He lost the boxing match and was badly beaten by his opponent.
Synonyms
batter,
break,
hit,
strike,
knock,
punch,
belt (informal),
whip,
deck (slang),
bruise,
bash (informal),
sock (slang),
lash,
chin (slang),
pound,
smack,
thrash,
cane,
thump,
lick (informal),
buffet,
clout (informal),
flog,
whack (informal),
maul,
clobber (slang),
wallop (informal),
tonk (informal),
cudgel,
thwack (informal),
lambast(e),
lay one on (slang),
drub,
tan (informal),
lam (informal),
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of belt
Definition
to give (someone) a sharp blow
Is it true that she belted George in the stomach?
Synonyms
strike,
beat,
punch,
deck (slang),
bang,
bash (informal),
sock (slang),
smack,
thump,
clout (informal),
whack,
thud,
clobber (slang),
wallop (informal),
thwack,
lay one on (slang),
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
Nearby words of
scourge
Scots
scoundrel
scour
scourge
scout
scout around or round
scout something out
Synonyms of 'scourge'
scourge
Explore 'scourge' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of castigate
Definition
to find fault with or reprimand (a person) harshly
She castigated him for having no intellectual interests.
Synonyms
reprimand,
blast,
carpet (informal),
flame (informal),
put down,
criticize,
lash,
slate (informal, British),
censure,
rebuke,
scold,
berate,
dress down (informal),
chastise,
chasten,
tear into (informal),
diss (slang),
read the riot act,
slap on the wrist,
lambast(e),
bawl out (informal),
excoriate,
rap over the knuckles,
haul over the coals (informal),
chew out (US, Canadian, informal),
tear (someone) off a strip (British, informal),
give a rocket (British, New Zealand, informal)
in the sense of curse
Definition
something that causes great trouble or harm
She has worked hard to reverse the curse of racism.
Synonyms
affliction,
evil,
plague (informal),
scourge,
cross,
trouble,
disaster,
burden,
ordeal,
torment,
hardship,
misfortune,
calamity,
tribulation,
bane,
vexation
in the sense of curse
I am cursed with a bad memory.
Synonyms
afflict,
trouble,
burden,
plague,
torment,
scourge,
vex
in the sense of discipline
Definition
to punish
He was disciplined by his company, but not dismissed.
Synonyms
punish,
correct,
reprimand,
castigate,
chastise,
chasten,
penalize,
bring to book,
reprove
in the sense of flog
Definition
to beat harshly, esp. with a whip or stick
He never flogs his horse no matter how slowly she goes.
Synonyms
beat,
whip,
lash,
thrash,
whack,
scourge,
hit hard,
trounce,
castigate,
chastise,
flay,
lambast(e),
flagellate,
punish severely,
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of harass
Definition
to trouble or annoy (someone) by repeated attacks, questions, or problems
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
Synonyms
annoy,
trouble,
bother,
worry,
harry,
disturb,
devil (informal),
plague,
bait,
hound,
torment,
hassle (informal),
badger,
persecute,
exasperate,
pester,
vex,
breathe down someone's neck,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
beleaguer
in the sense of lash
Definition
the flexible end of a whip
They forced him to run while flogging him with a lash.
Synonyms
whip,
cane,
birch,
switch,
crop,
scourge,
thong,
rawhide,
riding crop,
horsewhip,
bullwhip,
knout,
cat-o'-nine-tails
in the sense of lash
Definition
to hit (a person or thing) sharply with a whip, esp. formerly as punishment
The punishment for stealing bread is five lashes.
Synonyms
whip,
beat,
thrash,
birch,
flog,
lam (slang),
scourge,
chastise,
lambast(e),
flagellate,
horsewhip
in the sense of leather
Definition
to whip as if with a leather strap
They leathered me because they thought I could tell them where she'd gone.
Synonyms
hit,
beat,
strike,
belt (informal),
pound,
break,
knock,
punch,
batter,
bruise,
lash,
thrash,
lick (informal),
flog,
pelt,
clobber (slang),
thwack,
lambast(e),
lay one on (slang),
drub,
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of pest
Definition
any organism that damages crops, or injures or irritates livestock or man
all kinds of pests like flies and mosquitoesbacterial, fungal, and viral pests of the plants themselves
Synonyms
infection,
bug,
insect,
plague,
epidemic,
blight,
scourge,
bane,
pestilence,
gogga (South Africa, informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of plague
Definition
something that afflicts or harasses
the cynicism which is the plague of our generation
Synonyms
bane,
trial,
cancer,
evil,
curse,
torment,
blight,
calamity,
scourge,
affliction
in the sense of plague
Definition
to afflict or harass
She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.
Synonyms
torment,
trouble,
pain,
torture,
haunt,
afflict
in the sense of punish
Definition
to force (someone) to undergo a penalty for some crime or misbehaviour
George has never had to punish the children.
Synonyms
discipline,
correct,
castigate,
chastise,
beat,
sentence,
whip,
lash,
cane,
flog,
scourge,
chasten,
penalize,
bring to book,
slap someone's wrist,
throw the book at,
rap someone's knuckles,
give someone the works (slang),
give a lesson to
in the sense of strap
Definition
to tie or bind (something) with a strap
Nancy gripped the strap of her beach bag.
Synonyms
tie,
thong,
leash,
belt
in the sense of terror
Definition
a person or thing that inspires great dread
my dreams were haunted with terrors last night
Synonyms
nightmare,
monster,
bogeyman,
devil,
fiend,
bugbear,
scourge
in the sense of thrash
Definition
to beat (someone), esp. with a stick or whip
He was thrashed with a cane until his skin turned red.
Synonyms
beat,
wallop,
whip,
hide (informal),
belt (informal),
leather,
tan (slang),
cane,
lick (informal),
paste (slang),
birch,
flog,
scourge,
spank,
clobber (slang),
lambast(e),
flagellate,
horsewhip,
give someone a (good) hiding (informal),
drub,
take a stick to,
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of torment
Definition
physical or mental pain
the torments of being a writer
Synonyms
trouble,
worry,
bother,
plague (informal),
irritation,
hassle (informal),
nuisance,
annoyance,
bane,
pain in the neck (informal)
in the sense of torment
Definition
to cause (someone) great pain or suffering
At times, memories returned to torment her.
Synonyms
torture,
pain,
distress,
afflict,
rack,
harrow,
crucify,
agonize,
excruciate
in the sense of trounce
Definition
to defeat (someone) utterly
Australia trounced France by sixty points to four.