Scourge meaning

skûrj
scourged scourges scourging
See word origin
Frequency:
A small whip used to inflict punishment.
noun
7
1
Any means of inflicting severe punishment, suffering, or vengeance.
noun
3
0
The definition of a scourge is someone or something that causes a lot of trouble, problems or suffering.

An example of a scourge is famine or the outbreak of a disease.

noun
2
0
A whip or other instrument for flogging.
noun
2
0
To chastise severely; excoriate.
verb
1
0
Advertisement
To flog.
verb
1
0
To whip or flog.
verb
1
0
A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment.
noun
1
2
To afflict with severe or widespread suffering and devastation; ravage.
verb
0
0
Any cause of serious trouble or affliction.

The scourge of war.

noun
0
0
Advertisement
To punish, chastise, or afflict severely.
verb
0
0
(uncountable) A source of persistent trouble such as pestilence that causes pain and suffering or widespread destruction.

Graffiti is the scourge of building owners everywhere.

noun
0
0
A means to inflict such pain or destruction.
noun
0
0
A whip, often of leather.

He flogged him with a scourge.

noun
0
0
To strike with a scourge, to flog.
verb
0
0
Advertisement
A source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war.
noun
0
1

Origin of scourge

  • Middle English from Anglo-Norman escorge from Old French escorgier to whip from Vulgar Latin excorrigiāre Latin ex- intensive pref. ex– Latin corrigia thong (probably of Celtic origin)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French escorgier (“to whip"), from Vulgar Latin excorrigere, consisting of ex- + Latin corrigo

    From Wiktionary

Scourge Sentence Examples

  • Among the rodents the hamster and the field-mouse are a scourge to agriculture.

  • "It's all God's scourge," said Dron.

  • Florus actually dared to scourge and crucify Jews who belonged to the Roman order of knights.

  • Sixty strokes of an ox-hide scourge were awarded for a brutal assault on a superior, both being amelu.

  • The various species of rapacious animals are disappearing, together with the colonies of marmots; the insectivores are also becoming scarce in consequence of the destruction of insects; while vermin, such as the suslik, or pouched marmot (Spermophilus), and the destructive insects which are a scourge to agriculture, become a real plague.

More sentences →

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near scourge in the Dictionary