1
as in whips
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in nemeses
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curses
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ravages
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 hides
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 scourges
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The administration abruptly halted USAID's global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over the course of six decades.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Individualism, selfishness—these are scourges for your team’s success.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
The vaccination schedule for infants and children has been updated throughout the years as new shots become available, offering better protection against childhood scourges.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
Measles and polio, once routine scourges of childhood, were pushed back by millions of vaccinations.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The administration abruptly halted USAID's global health work, which had saved millions of lives from scourges like AIDS, malaria and malnutrition over the course of six decades.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026
At the film’s outset, Inez kidnaps her young son Terry from foster care shortly after her release from prison, and A Thousand and One chronicles her attempt to parent despite the scourges of abuse, police brutality and systemic racism.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Individualism, selfishness—these are scourges for your team’s success.
—Don Yaeger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges.
—Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
The vaccination schedule for infants and children has been updated throughout the years as new shots become available, offering better protection against childhood scourges.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourges
Noun
-
Athena whips votes; Myki doesn’t bother.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Some white parents beat their children with the same whips the apartheid police used in Black neighborhoods.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
By fighting for fairness and equality, while simultaneously asking us to care for others with compassion and empathy (sharing this with our frenemies and nemeses will be hard, but valuable in teaching them to be kind).—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Lesbian agitators, such as Good, are its nemeses.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The earliest depictions of slavery were already crawling with the terrible proceedings the Gothic tends to depict, from bloody whippings to family curses to the wrathful wraiths of the slain enslaved.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Gamers will know Brok as the beloved weapons dealer with an unrivaled artistry for creative, foul-mouthed curses.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As of early Monday morning, nearly 150 flights at MIA had been impacted, and that's expected to increase as the winter storm ravages the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.—
February 23,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The tall green trees pop against the clear blue sky, until a wildfire ravages the forest and changes Grainger’s life.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of correcting the error, the scheming matriarch hides him in the attic and collects a life insurance payout.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
-
He is detached and hides behind a camera.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Eventually, this revolt from bond vigilantes will make lawmakers bite the bullet.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Square-jawed detectives were tripping over corpses at midtown construction sites, blind vigilantes were redecorating Hell’s Kitchen with body parts and even poor Lester the doorman ended up dead in an Upper West Side courtyard fountain.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Jurors have also heard testimony about a 2023 investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office into online threats.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, a team identified the molecular mechanisms behind the microbe that destroys bananas.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 Feb. 2026
-
View gallery - 3 images Watch as a team of drones destroys their target in a demonstration of Fury.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scourges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourges. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
