scourge

1 of 2

noun

ˈskərj 

ˈskȯrj,

ˈsku̇rj

1

: whip

especially : one used to inflict pain or punishment

2

: an instrument of punishment or criticism

3

: a cause of wide or great affliction

scourge

2 of 2

verb

scourged; scourging

transitive verb

1

: flog, whip

2

a

: to punish severely

b

: afflict

c

: to drive as if by blows of a whip

d

: chastise

scourger noun

Synonyms

Noun

• flogger
• lash
• switch
• whip

Verb

• destroy
• devastate
• ravage
• ruin

Examples of scourge in a Sentence

Noun

a city ravaged by the scourge of unemployment

The disease continues to be a scourge in the developing world.

Verb

a neighborhood scourged by crime

The prisoner was scourged with a whip.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There is a powerful antidote to this scourge of religious extremism: church-state separation. —Rachel Laser, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2024

The correspondence between Oscar and Rebecca is Despentes’s antidote to the scourge of social media. —Anahid Nersessian, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024

Verb

Sylvia scourges herself with an intensity that would make hairshirted flagellants seem soft. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024

Social instability and post-pandemic economic pressures fueled surges in migration across the world. 2023 will probably be the hottest year on record, with heat waves scourging every continent, accompanied by other extreme climactic events. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French escorge, from escorger to whip, from Vulgar Latin *excorrigiare, from Latin ex- + corrigia thong, whip

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scourge

1 of 2 noun

ˈskərj 

1

: whip entry 2 sense 1, lash

2

: someone or something that is an instrument of punishment or criticism

3

: affliction sense 2

scourge

2 of 2 verb

scourged; scourging

1

: to whip severely : flog

2

: to cause severe suffering to : devastate