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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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourge
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 8 Jan. 2025
But, then, in a great and noble second act, the former president travels the world spreading goodness, peace and light while helping build safe and affordable housing for the needy and fighting the twin scourges of poverty and disease.
—Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 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
Lina Khan’s parting words Lina Khan was the Biden-administration scourge of corporate America.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 8 Jan. 2025
But, then, in a great and noble second act, the former president travels the world spreading goodness, peace and light while helping build safe and affordable housing for the needy and fighting the twin scourges of poverty and disease.
—Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 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
-
He was accused of attacking police officers with bear spray and a metal whip.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Think Indiana Jones, with the whip and fedora, setting off on a daring quest for treasure or profits, in this case.—
B.D. Dalton,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Black-robed Trump nemeses emerged as a menacing force during the first Trump administration.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Last month, Sam Altman, the C.E.O. of OpenAI and perhaps Musk’s primary nemesis, launched a five-hundred-billion-dollar data-center initiative called Stargate with the coöperation of Trump.—
Kyle Chayka,
The New Yorker,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Glamour is a gift and a curse as Venus and Neptune align.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
1 Feb. 2025
-
Google / Ars Technica A cathartic curse eliminates the AI Overview in the results.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Syria, totally ravaged by war, needs an entirely new political settlement.—
Maha Yahya,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Activists and health workers have spent many years building trust in communities ravaged by HIV, fighting shame and stigma to bring the pandemic out of the shadows.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
The Christian Science Monitor,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Dylan notices the slogan and examines the poster to find that Irv hid his drawing of the Exports Hall, with detailed instructions on how to get there written on the back, behind it.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
-
His wife, Avital, who was seven months pregnant at the time, hid in a safe room with their two daughters.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Her tea-length tulle black dress, dating back to the 1950s, featured velvet straps.—
Hannah Malach,
WWD,
16 Feb. 2025
-
The 42mm rectangular case is affixed to a blue rubber strap that can be swapped out for any of Hublot’s proprietary strap options with the press of a button.—
Blake Buettner,
Robb Report,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Following a team of vigilantes who want to stop the rise of megalomaniac superheroes, The Boys satirizes the likes of Marvel and DC, showing what could happen if Superman and Batman weren't so heroic.—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
-
Bond vigilantes have been signaling concerns over several areas: 1) inflation, 2) deficits and 3) tariffs and 4) tax cuts.—
Bob Pisani,
CNBC,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
There was a time when the Mojito was the bane of bartenders back in the early aughts when the drink was popular but the craft cocktail movement hadn’t really found its sea legs yet.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2025
-
For most of us, meetings are the bane of our existence.—
StackCommerce Team (Sponsored),
PCMAG,
3 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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