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: bane, plague

verb (used with object)

scourged, scourging 

1. to whip with a scourge; lash.

2. to punish, chastise, or criticize severely.

   Synonyms: castigate, correct

scourge

/ 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

1. to whip; flog

2. to punish severely

Other Word Forms

• scourger noun
• scourgingly adverb
• self-scourging adjective
• unscourged adjective
• unscourging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scourge¹

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

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

Example Sentences

Half a century later, Scotland is still grappling with alienation and still struggling with the scourge of alcohol and drugs.

From BBC

The bark beetle has been the scourge of Europe, killing millions of spruce trees, yet the government thought it could halt its spread to the UK by checking imported wood products at ports.

From BBC

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has described illegal immigration as a "scourge" which is affecting the country on a "historic and unprecedented" scale.

From BBC

"We are determined to eliminate the scourge of oversized bags which delay boarding and are clearly unfair on the over 99% of our passengers who comply with our baggage rules," Ryanair said in a statement.

From BBC

And many shots protect not just the individuals receiving them but also the broader community by making it harder for deadly scourges to spread.

From Salon

Related Words

• curse 
• pest 
• terror