as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
plagued by a cough for all of last week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in epidemic
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death
the Black Death was a plague that killed about one third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of plague
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
1 July 2026
The fair stretched on, plagued by bad weather, low attendance and bad reviews.
—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Why did the plague kill so many children?
—
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plague
Verb
Rush’s reunion tour has now been plagued with three postponements in less than one month since the trek began, the most recent of which is due to a Geddy Lee illness.
—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
1 July 2026
The fair stretched on, plagued by bad weather, low attendance and bad reviews.
—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Noun
Post-pandemic issues like business exodus, homelessness, crime, and litter plague North American cities.
—
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Why did the plague kill so many children?
—
ArsTechnica,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
Verb
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Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list.
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Advertisement Mission hijacking in the nonprofit space A similar overcrowding afflicts the pro-democracy space today.
Noun
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Historians estimate that the North American epidemic killed at least 100,000 to 130,000 people over several years.
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No disrespect to Meredith Marks, of course, but this Bravo DJ epidemic has gotten out of control.
Verb
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The Washington Principles also recognize that many sales of artwork by Jews during the Nazi era occurred while they were being persecuted, or under duress.
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Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have been persecuted.
Noun
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Many who lived through the pandemic—and witnessed this inability to combat the lethal pestilence—developed scornful opinions of the medical profession.
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Some of those tombstones explicitly referred to a pestilence as the cause of death.
Verb
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What unfolds is a unique horror story that is unbelievably entertaining, psychologically torturing and incredibly fun.
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The brutal nature of her murder—she was believed to have been tortured, and her body was cut in half and provocatively posed—helped spark a media frenzy.
Noun
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If anyone shows signs of heat illness, promptly move them to a cool, shaded area.
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Despite some athletes reporting illness afterward, no clear link to the water was confirmed, and the century-long psychological barrier to bathing in the Seine was finally broken.
Verb
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Boston was besieged by the Tartan Army.
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Boris Yeltsin, to everyone’s shock, had then walked through the crowd and climbed one of the Soviet tanks besieging him.
Noun
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Run a fan near seating and dining areas to keep flying pests off food and guests.
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Other reuses include pest control, landscaping, and winter chores.
Cite this Entry
“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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