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plagued 1 of 2

adjective

as in tormented

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plagued

2 of 2

verb

past tense of plague
as in afflicted
to cause persistent suffering to plagued by a cough for all of last week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 plagued
Verb
With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026 That gave North Crowley a 35-28 lead with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter, despite a first half plagued with penalties. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2026 That puts a premium on avoiding the situations that plagued Kansas against Missouri. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026 The Royal Family, whose relations with Spencer have long been strained, are said to fear the book could contain numerous bombshells about Charles and Diana’s relationship, which was infamously plagued by adultery and acrimony. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026 For Guhle, this is yet another physical setback among many that have plagued the 24-year-old’s NHL career. — Arpon Basu, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The vehicle has been plagued by issues since its launch in 2022 and is reportedly on the chopping block. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026 But the violence that plagued Muslims and mosques in the days and years after 9/11 stood in stark contrast to those sentiments. — Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 Jackson broke his foot last training camp when a teammate stepped on it during practice, and that injury plagued him all of 2025 and required an offseason procedure that kept him sidelined during OTAs and minicamp. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plagued
  1. frustrated
  2. afflicted
  3. aggravated
  4. persecuted
  5. tortured
  6. besieged
  7. tested
  8. cursed
Adjective
  • From this perspective, the fertility slump is a record of frustrated longing.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Such moments are the byproduct of a frustrated team and a frustrated fanbase, both trying to help each other and both unable to get out of each other’s way Sunday.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • The afflicted can feel very strongly about them, strongly believe them, even though there is no convincing reason for holding that thought.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • However, the network was afflicted with major issues in its first year, including executive turnover and poor ratings.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflicted
Adjective
  • The driver of the pickup truck, 21-year-old Jesse David Lovato, has since been arrested and is facing charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to the outlets.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026
  • On Monday, Hamby was charged with murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, jail records show.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Tates have denied all allegations and have claimed they are being persecuted for their views.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of persecuted
Adjective
  • But this leads to secrets revealed, lies told and tortured confrontations, not just with others but most intensely with himself.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of besieged
Adjective
  • Each application is pre-tested and integrated into the platform to reduce deployment time and improve reliability for end users.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
  • But summer back in New York, amid the fug of the city, requires a return to a tested and true formula.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 June 2025
Definition of tested
Verb
  • In a wartorn country where air travel is too perilous to even consider, the roads are the obvious option, but are jammed, precarious, and cursed with long, torturous border queues.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, the ghosts of flower power rose from their graves and cursed the entire Sex Squadron with a thundercloud of paranoia from all the bad acid trips ever to hit Haight-Ashbury.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of cursed

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Cite this Entry

“Plagued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plagued. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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