scourged

verb

past tense of scourge
1
as in ravaged
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whipped
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

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 scourged These scourged the poor harder than anyone else. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourged
  1. ravaged
  2. whipped
  3. destroyed
  4. lashed
  5. devastated
  6. slashed
  7. flogged
  8. slapped
Verb
  • Over the course of seven hours, a series of waves, some as high as 30 feet, ravaged 15 countries including India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, killing more than 200,000 people and leaving millions without food, water, shelter, or jobs.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sinaloa has in recent years been ravaged by warring between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravaged
Verb
  • In 2017, the object flew into our solar system, whipped around the sun like a comet, and flew back out.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The blaze raged through pine forests and scrubland through the weekend, whipped by gale force winds that often prevented water-dropping planes from operating.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of whipped
Verb
  • Most of the hospitals are taken over by gangs or have been destroyed, and … the economy’s not good.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Two grandparents and their 3-year-old grandson were killed after multiple Russian drones destroyed their home in the Brovary district of Kyiv region, northeast of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • Beijing lashed out, restricting vital commerce and the flow of Chinese tourists on which Japan – the world’s fourth-largest economy – depends.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 2026
  • Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the CNN White House correspondent, and her colleagues have defended her against him.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
Definition of lashed
Verb
  • The massacre devastated Wilmington’s flourishing Black middle class and sent a message of impunity to white vigilantes nationwide.
    — Namara Smith, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The Village, which survived the disaster even as much of the rest of the surrounding downtown commercial corridor was devastated, has undergone an extensive restoration.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • As a result, the company slashed its full-year guidance for organic growth and operating profit, and offered a weak initial 2026 earnings forecast.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The administration also slashed funding for mRNA vaccine research and curtailed access to the COVID vaccines.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of slashed
Verb
  • The same day that the nanny allegedly beat Walter, other caregivers slapped and flogged his siblings, including with shoes and wooden sticks.
    — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
  • The media flagged and flogged it for AI incompetence.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of flogged
Verb
  • New York Mets rookie Jefry Yan jumped high in the air with his feet spread apart, landed on the front of the mound and then slapped the grass with his left hand while briefly going to a knee.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Trump first slapped a 39 percent levy on Swiss exports in August 2025; eventually, that sky-high figure was reduced to 15 percent last November.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 July 2026
Definition of slapped

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Cite this Entry

“Scourged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourged. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of scourged for Spanish Speakers

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