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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourge
Rebecca Wallace, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Bectu and Pact have called it a scourge and pledged to try and eliminate the problem.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
While the kinds of extreme heat events like the wildfires that scourge many parts of the world in hot weather are still very rare in the UK, this report underlines how much temperature changes affect our daily lives—and are likely to do so more in the future.
—Cassie Werber, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
Our cash bail system, where wealth determines freedom, is a scourge on the moral fabric of this country and this state.
—Rebecca Wallace, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Bectu and Pact have called it a scourge and pledged to try and eliminate the problem.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 4 Sep. 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
While the kinds of extreme heat events like the wildfires that scourge many parts of the world in hot weather are still very rare in the UK, this report underlines how much temperature changes affect our daily lives—and are likely to do so more in the future.
—Cassie Werber, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
-
These are essential for controlling the whip-like motion that propels sperm forward.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
He was removed from his position as assistant minority whip and banned from interacting with his staff except through official emails.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After California came another business nemesis, Texas, where values dipped $32 billion.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The Greeks warned that hubris invites nemesis, and nemesis brings downfall.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some monks who were once forced off the island put a curse on it and everyone who ever took anything away from it.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
-
When her curse begins to affect her physically, Amada travels to the Abyss to seek a cure from the Grand Warlock.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On the news, Ukraine was ravaged.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
In November 1996, a fire ravaged the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery.—
Ray Padilla,
The Courier-Journal,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The most notorious, in 1978, saw the late queen hide behind a bush in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to avoid Nicolae Ceaușescu, having already removed anything that the Romanian dictator could steal from his room following a warning from Giscard d'Estaing, the then French president.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Other newborns were given away by their grandparents who conspired with doctors, priests and nuns to hide a daughter’s socially embarrassing pregnancy.—
Rafael Romo,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The convertible strap can be worn around the heel for a secure fit or flipped forward for an easy slide-on style.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
-
These little items have solved surprisingly common problems for her clients, like a broken strap, a small tear in clothing, or even a coffee spill mid-flight.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Armed with clubs and pistols, vigilantes went door to door, herding more than three hundred men, women, and children through the streets and out of town.—
Beth Lew-Williams,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The livestreams, vigilante investigators, extremists sending death threats, and conspiracist threads will continue their work.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Inclement weather has long been the bane of festivals and outdoor tours, and differentiating between climate change and a stretch of bad storms can be tricky.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In the first episode, my friend Anthony, who’s also a cameraman on the show, talks about vertical video being the bane of society.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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