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
Ireland’s museum sector is reportedly plagued by precarious contracts, low pay, unpaid labor, and toxic workplace cultures, driving burnout, excluding talent, and risking the loss of vital institutional knowledge. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Trump has consistently blamed vandals for the botched renovation of the Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued by a peeling liner and resurfacing algae. — Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 In Salinger’s narrative, Pencey is plagued by a population of troubled youth, crooked teachers, and spoiled rich kids, a mixture that often begat abuse. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 She is plagued by psychological demons that destroy most of the relationships around her. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026 South Africa is plagued by violence, but extensive research has found that white South African farmers are not victims of crime at higher rates than other groups. — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2026 The country is plagued with blackouts that can extend for days due to the lack of generation capacity and the poor state of the Soviet-era power stations. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 In recent years, Georgia’s State Election Board has been plagued by infighting, feuds, insults, partisan maneuvering and out-and-out shouting matches. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026 That report, released by the county last month, details a department doing many things right but also plagued by a poor facility in Bonita and other practices that don’t align with industry standards. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plagued
  1. frustrated
  2. afflicted
  3. aggravated
  4. persecuted
  5. tortured
  6. besieged
  7. tested
  8. cursed
Adjective
  • Some parents said the closure has left them frustrated and seeking more transparency from city officials.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Bohm was not in the lineup Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays after going 0-for-4 with a walk on Friday, which included a visibly frustrated walk back to the dugout.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Repeat this process once the soil has dried again, until affected plants are no longer afflicted with pests.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Blending horror with comedy, the Apple TV show takes place in a fictitious New England island town afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings about supernatural evils.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
Definition of afflicted
Adjective
  • State prison records show Milton has previously served time for burglary, retail theft, drug possession, armed robbery and aggravated battery, among other convictions dating to the late 1990s.
    — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • His son, 16-year-old Colt Gray, pleaded guilty to all 55 counts against him, including murder and aggravated assault.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.
    — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026
Definition of persecuted
Adjective
  • The committee is tasked with analyzing and reviewing problematic conference papers and enhancing quality screening of articles prior to publication to detect integrity issues such as plagiarism and tortured phrases.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
  • This discovery stunned de Man’s colleagues and students, and was particularly traumatic for Derrida, who attempted a tortured but ultimately unconvincing reckoning with what his friend had written as a young man.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • And yet, besieged by the same afflictions of greed, self-interest and a comical inability to work together, horse racing is doing its damndest to similarly mess up its very good thing.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The staff means business, with the host stand besieged by walk-ins, take-out orders, and impatient guests waiting outside.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 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
  • However, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton was fined and suspended for five games after last Tuesday’s contest, when two girls sitting courtside in support of Cunnigham said Keaton cursed at them and called them insane.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Supporters rallied again Friday outside Portland’s Moda Center, where trans activists interrupted speakers, cursed at reporters and confronted attendees.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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