1
as in whip
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
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Relevance
2
as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the attorney general, who just happens to be a candidate for governor, is a self-proclaimed scourge of organized crime
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
the sheer ubiquity of food is proving to be the scourge of humanity, as evidenced by the obesity epidemic
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourge
Sarah Thwaites, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
According to the Houston Police Department, a man on the flight was acting erratically and...
US employers added 143,000 jobs in solid but unspectacular January hiring, jobless rate fell to 4%
Robocalls and spam still a scourge.
—The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
Of all the fearful diseases that scourge the human race, this ranks among those that are justly feared most.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
Cleansing an area will return it to a fertile ground and remove the immediate scourge.
—Sarah Thwaites, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
According to the Houston Police Department, a man on the flight was acting erratically and...
US employers added 143,000 jobs in solid but unspectacular January hiring, jobless rate fell to 4%
Robocalls and spam still a scourge.
—The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
Like its American rival, the Tiger was initially intended to scourge Soviet tank battalions, but was refashioned for multi-role capabilities.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
Of all the fearful diseases that scourge the human race, this ranks among those that are justly feared most.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
-
The whip of a one-handed backhand complementing two lightning bolts, in his serve and his forehand.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
My go-to Starbucks order is a nonfat mocha latte, no whip.—
Perrie Samotin,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, the Panthers added defenseman Seth Jones, then shocked the hockey world by acquiring longtime nemesis and former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Kasie finds records tying Gemma to Parker’s (Gary Cole) old nemesis, Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay).—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After turning undead and hiding her bite wound, Mary easily gets permission to re-enter the building, and quickly seduces Stack, before murdering him and infecting him with the vampire curse.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Maybe that’s more blessing than curse in our age of baldly allegorical horror movies.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
People stay at home and shop online, ravaging the streetscape of storefronts.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Earlier this year, Osment was among the thousands of Angelenos who lost their homes in the devastating wildfires that ravaged parts of Southern California in January.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Liv is forced to break up with her human fiancé, Major (Robert Buckley) to avoid infecting him, and becomes estranged from her best friend and roommate Peyton (Aly Michalka), hiding her new zombie nature from both.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Unfortunately, the cause of the odor is often hidden.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On Black Friday last year, with the Chiefs and Raiders reserved for a national TV audience, quarterback Patrick Mahomes slammed a football between his hands and angrily unfastened his chin strap before yelling toward the sideline.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The masks come with two straps that go over your head and neck to keep a tight seal.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
So there's going to be people, vigilantes, superheroes that are involved in that.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Just as Matt realizes one of the officers killed White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes), a grenade is launched through the window, and the two vigilantes painfully jump down to the street.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Charging my Apple Watch every day is the bane of my existence, and despite years of efforts to improve it, the closest that Apple has come is to launch … fast charging?—
Adrienne So,
Wired News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Light pollution is the bane of a stargazer’s existence.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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