scourge Hear it!

scourge Definition

scourge (skʉrj)

noun

  1. a whip or other instrument for flogging
  2. any means of inflicting severe punishment, suffering, or vengeance
  3. any cause of serious trouble or affliction the scourge of war

Etymology: ME < OFr escorgie < L ex, off, from + corrigia, a strap, whip

transitive verb scourged, scourg′·ing

  1. to whip or flog
  2. to punish, chastise, or afflict severely

scourge Synonyms

scourge

n.

  1. A whip

    strap, cord, stick, switch; see whip.

  2. Punishment

    correction, penalty, infliction; see punishment.

scourge Synonyms

scourge

v.

  1. To whip

    flog, hit, thrash; see beat 2.

  2. To punish

    chastise, castigate, penalize; see punish.

scourge Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • trafficking: His country was also encouraged by the attention being given to the scourge of illicit trafficking in small arms.
  • terrorism: The scourge of global terrorism requires the strength of a global response.
  • unemployment: Mr Reid said: " The New Deal has made major strides to reduce the scourge of unemployment.
  • war: In the year 1800 the scourge of war, with famine in its wake, was raging over Europe.
  • poverty: We're just asking that they play their part in removing the scourge of fuel poverty from some of Scotland's most vulnerable households.
  • establishment: Lacey became the scourge of the very establishment he was a prominent member of.

Object

scene: Answer: I thought the scourging scene was too long.

Converse of object

  • eradicate: We will engage other nations to join in accelerating our efforts to finally eradicate this scourge.
  • combat: To combat the scourge of terrorism Member States have also agreed to expand the role of the European Union.
  • tackle: For the second Bank Holiday running, police are mounting an operation across the county to tackle the scourge of drunken violence.
  • eliminate: The nations of the world are banding together to eliminate the terrorism scourge.
  • fight: With three levels of protection available to suit your needs, Secure Mail is the solution you need to fight the scourge of spam!
  • defeat: It will require a team effort to defeat the scourge of terrorism.

Adjective modifier

  • terrible: Mr Maclean said: " Stalking is a menace to society and a terrible scourge to the lives of victims.
  • twin: But these pubs are under threat from the twin scourges of red tape and rising costs.
  • ancient: By teaming up with top research institutes, ORBIS is working to eliminate this ancient scourge which has blinded people for centuries.
  • global: The Conference succeeded in placing the issue - which the Secretary-General has called a " global scourge " - on the international agenda.
  • modern: Waste ( not ) by Ethical Consumer Waste is a modern scourge.
  • major: In Africa, illicit trafficking in small and light arms had become a major scourge.

Modifying Another Word

cruelly: When Alaric sacked Rome, Marcella was cruelly scourged as the Goths thought that she had hidden her wealth.