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
Autos: Autos are plagued by tariff instability and the ongoing trade war, Cramer said. Julie Coleman, CNBC, 25 June 2025 High turnover, low wages, and irregular hours have long plagued the industry. Glenn Llopis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
According to the New York Times and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, metal theft has been an urban plague for decades, but it’s been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic due to a number of factors, including a soaring demand for metals. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 May 2025 This is epic fantasy set in a big world with a mysterious past (as well as a ravenous fungal ghost plague!). Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
Verb
  • To put it into perspective, the National Organization for Rare Disorders estimates that one person on every elevator and four people on every bus are afflicted.
    Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
  • Those afflicted with sickle cell disease and their families turned out in support of World Sickle Cell Day at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Sunday.
    Jane Tyska, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • They were born out of a pitiless epidemic, as a poignant yet futile attempt to allow his subjects to live forever on film.
    Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 June 2025
  • The World Health Organization this week released its tenth report on the global tobacco epidemic, a status update on its anti-smoking campaigns.
    Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • With his penchant for menacing models, black-out contact lenses and jutting shoulders, Owens is also a forever torchbearer for different kinds of beauty, and a safe haven for people who feel persecuted for being outside the norm.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
  • The regimes that persecute religious minorities are also the ones that oppress women, LGBTQ people, journalists, and dissidents.
    Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 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
  • Nicolás Maduro and his enforcers are running a criminal narco-terrorist dictatorship that jails political opponents, tortures dissidents, and crushes any hope of free expression.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
  • An immigration judge determined that he would likely be persecuted or tortured if deported to Guatemala again, and granted him an order protecting him from removal.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • But then there are the rare illnesses that produce truly violent forces.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025
  • No chronic illness, no prescription medications, normal blood work and all that in my physical exams.
    Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • By 1972, Argentina was besieged by unprecedented political violence.
    Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • Gas stations are besieged, and shops are emptying of essentials.
    Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • After a few years of decreasing infection, the pests rarely trouble citrus trees.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2025
  • Wasps are beneficial as pollinators and pest controls, but a nest near your house can cause problems.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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