plague

verb

plagued; plaguing

transitive verb

1

: to cause constant or repeated trouble, illness, etc. for (someone or something)

2

a

: to cause worry or distress to

was plagued with doubts/guilt

b

: to disturb or annoy persistently

plaguer noun

Synonyms of plague

• afflict
• persecute
• torture
• besiege
• curse
• attack

Choose the Right Synonym for plague

worry, annoy, harass, harry, plague, pester, tease mean to disturb or irritate by persistent acts.

worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

Examples of plague in a Sentence

Computer viruses plague Internet users.

Crime plagues the inner city.

Drought and wildfires continue to plague the area.

Recent Examples on the Web

Latest earnings from global luxury brands, such as Ralph Lauren and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, indicated recovering appetite for high-end beauty and fashion products in a market plagued by margin-eroding discounts in recent years. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 June 2026

In a state already plagued by oversight failures involving Medicaid, hospice care, in-home supportive services, and homelessness spending itself, the revelations were troubling, though hardly surprising. —Michele Steeb, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

The arrests are the latest chaos to plague the City Council’s budget process, which has left the body deeply divided over how to restore Wu’s grant funding cuts. —Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026

The right knee issues that plagued him in the early months of the season are now a thing of the past, Webb told reporters after his latest strong start. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing plague

• anti-plague
• avoid (someone or something) like the plague
• bubonic plague

Rhymes for plague

• craig
• vague

Kids Definition

plague

1 of 2 noun

ˈplāg 

1

a

: a disastrous evil

b

: a large number of destructive pests

a plague of locusts

2

: an epidemic disease causing a high rate of death : pestilence

especially : a serious disease that is caused by a bacterium, occurs or has occurred in several forms including bubonic plague, and is usually passed to human beings from infected rodents and especially rats by the bite of a flea or is passed directly from person to person

3

: a cause or occasion of annoyance : nuisance

plague

2 of 2 verb

plagued; plaguing

1

: to strike or afflict with or as if with disease or evil

2

: to cause worry or distress to

plagued by a sense of guilt

Medical Definition

plague

noun

ˈplāg 

1

: an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality : pestilence

a plague of cholera

2

: a virulent contagious febrile disease that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia (Y. pestis synonym Pasteurella pestis), that occurs in bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic forms, and that is usually transmitted from rats to humans by the bite of infected fleas (as in bubonic plague) or directly from person to person (as in pneumonic plague)

called also black death