plague 1 of 2

plague

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb plague contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plague are annoy, harass, harry, pester, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

In what contexts can annoy take the place of plague?

While in some cases nearly identical to plague, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When would harass be a good substitute for plague?

The words harass and plague can be used in similar contexts, but harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When is it sensible to use harry instead of plague?

Although the words harry and plague have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When might pester be a better fit than plague?

In some situations, the words pester and plague are roughly equivalent. However, pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When can tease be used instead of plague?

The words tease and plague are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

When is worry a more appropriate choice than plague?

While the synonyms worry and plague are close in meaning, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plague
Verb
The turnovers that plagued Golden State in the preseason re-appeared after a clean game against the Nuggets. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025 These ills barely plague the few remaining hunter-gatherer groups, such as the Hadza living in and around northern Tanzania’s Great Rift Valley, who live ALAN-free and are believed to be one of the best living representatives of ancestral human lifestyles. Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
Back-to-back championships by the Dodgers could embolden MLB and add to a chorus of fans who see a cap as a panacea for the plague of big-money teams monopolizing championships over the past decade. Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 Wealthier countries, such as the United States, which have significant plastic consumption, do not have waste management problems like those that plague nations where the ocean plastic pollution is coming from. Daren Bakst, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
Verb
  • For now, Poulsen is much more worried about how the nation’s poultry and dairy agriculture systems will withstand the virus continuing to afflict the animals these industries rely on.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Even though this can afflict regular sandwiches as well, my Picklewiches definitely suffered from it more.
    Caroline Tien, SELF, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Experts bemoan the loneliness epidemic and its impact on youth, mental health, longevity, and chronic pain.
    Joni Eareckson Tada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Known as one of the costliest wars in history, the death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers has been attributed to battle, as well as starvation, cold and a typhus epidemic that broke out.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Blasphemy accusations have been used repeatedly to persecute Christians and other religious minorities in the country.
    Sean Nelson, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Famines, pestilence, crusades, and war.
    Greg Grandin September 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Judith is the recipient of the pestilence, Agnes stays by her side, Dad is M.I.A.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In another film with a less happy outcome, the woman who claims to be the amnesiac’s wife is an impostor who ends up torturing him.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Khaled was briefly transferred to Ofer Prison, where Adnan al-Bursh, an orthopedic surgeon who once led Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, had died in 2024, after being tortured.
    Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The couple welcomed a daughter, who died due to a childhood illness.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Some messages warn of a sudden campus illness outbreak, creating a sense of urgency, while others claim that a faculty member is under investigation, prompting recipients to check documents immediately.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Made in Italy is besieged, and action must be taken to safeguard the local supply chain and its reputation.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Since its municipal establishment in 2018, Roku City has been a metropolis intermittently besieged by mythical creatures including a kraken, a big robot, and a Godzilla-like kaiju.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In addition, pests like those obnoxious mosquitoes will have longer active seasons prior to the beginning of the first freeze.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Grass growing up against tree trunks also potentially attracts pests like voles that may nibble on the apple tree bark.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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