Scourge

/skɜːrdʒ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A whip used as an instrument of punishment.

The prisoner was punished with a scourge for his misdeeds.

A person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering.

The drought was a scourge for the farmers in the region.

A source of widespread suffering or devastation.

War is often described as a scourge that devastates nations.

verb

To whip (someone) as a punishment.

The captain scourged the mutinous crew as a stern warning.

To cause great suffering to; to afflict.

The disease scourged the population, leaving few uninfected.

Middle English 'scourge', from Old French 'escurge' (noun), from Latin 'excoricare' (to whip out), from 'ex-' (out) + 'coricare' (to whip).

scourge of society:

A person or thing that has a harmful effect on a community or group.

to scourge oneself:

To punish oneself severely, often in a self-destructive manner.

A person or situation that causes serious trouble.

That ex-boyfriend is such a scourge, he always shows up at the worst times.

Used to describe something that is overwhelming or difficult to deal with.

This assignment is a scourge, it’s taking forever to finish.