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
Maddie is talented, warm, funny and kind but also anxious, plagued with low self-esteem cultivated by a traumatic childhood. Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 The world's fourth-largest economy has been plagued with political uncertainty since the LDP lost its parliamentary majority in a snap election late last year. April Roach, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
For the first time, researchers have found direct genetic evidence of the bacterium (Yersinia pestis) responsible for the plague. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025 An illustration of Yersinia pestis, the microbe that causes plague. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
Verb
  • Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.
    John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Griffin, who does clinical work in Long Island, New York, said his sister-in-law is in her 40s and quite wary of long COVID, the enduring, debilitating health issues that have afflicted millions of Americans who contracted the coronavirus.
    Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • If one wasn’t killed by the brutal warfare, then the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic finished the job.
    Christine Estima September 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The current epidemic of tariffs seemed to start out this way, but then consolidated and endured to the point of causing real economic damage.
    Mark Weisbrot, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The decree eliminated many of the civil liberties in Germany, opening the way for the Nazis to persecute their opponents.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Sep. 2025
  • More and more, people who have loyally served Putin’s system are being persecuted, mainly on the grounds of corruption.
    ANDREI KOLESNIKOV, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While pestilence crept over the walls of cities and the countryside fell into desolation—many foreign conquerors of Europe knew how to fight and plunder but not to plow or sow—the monks preserved words.
    Bernd Roeck June 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
  • In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Consequently, the unit’s members film themselves torturing and executing Palestinians.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The number paid respects to Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was tortured and killed because of his sexuality in 1998.
    Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His illness has limited him to light catch play over the past few days, and the shift in plans meant some slight alterations to his routine, which Ireton ran through with club security.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Some are clearly seismic, like bereavement, illness or war.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.
    Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Landslide in western Sudan kills at least 1,000 A landslide in western Sudan killed at least 1,000 people, intensifying hardship in a country besieged by years of civil war.
    Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The digital classroom created a virtual commons where strangers swap pest-control tips instead of partisan jabs.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Like aphids and other soft-bodied pests, sawfly larvae will dry out or suffocate when covered in these products.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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