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View synonyms for

scourge

[skurj]

noun

  1. a whip or lash, especially for the infliction of punishment or torture.

  2. a person or thing that applies or administers punishment or severe criticism.

  3. a cause of affliction or calamity.

    Disease and famine are scourges of humanity.

    Synonyms: ,


verb (used with object)

scourged, scourging 
  1. to whip with a scourge; lash.

  2. to punish, chastise, or criticize severely.

    Synonyms: ,

scourge

/ ɜː /

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to whip; flog

  2. to punish severely

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • scourger noun
  • scourgingly adverb
  • self-scourging adjective
  • unscourged adjective
  • unscourging adjective
  • ˈdzܰ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scourge1

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French escorge, derivative of escorgier to whip < Vulgar Latin *泦ǰ, derivative of Latin corrigia thong, whip ( ex- 1 ); (v.) Middle English < Old French escorgier
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scourge1

C13: from Anglo-French escorge, from Old French escorgier (unattested) to lash, from es- ex- 1 + Latin corrigia whip
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"The threat of bladed weapons among our children has become critical", Bayrou said, adding it is "up to us to make this widespread scourge a public enemy".

From

Trump can rail against the lunatic radical left for the scourge of illegal immigration, but the statement that “employers are ready to hire them” couldn’t be more true.

From

Bruce raised the specter of intellectual property theft by China — a well-documented scourge that is estimated to have cost the U.S. billions of dollars.

From

Vector control officials have sought to beat back the scourge, galvanized by the unhappy residents and fear of spiking disease that’s starting to be realized.

From

Despite the promising innovations, some aspects of the scourge defy local control.

From

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scourerscouring pad