plague 1 of 2

verb

Definition of plaguenext
as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to plagued by a cough for all of last week

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plague

2 of 2

noun

ˈplāg How to pronounce plague (audio)
as in epidemic
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death the Black Death was a plague that killed about one third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb plague contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plague are annoy, harass, harry, pester, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

In what contexts can annoy take the place of plague?

While in some cases nearly identical to plague, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When would harass be a good substitute for plague?

The words harass and plague can be used in similar contexts, but harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When is it sensible to use harry instead of plague?

Although the words harry and plague have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When might pester be a better fit than plague?

In some situations, the words pester and plague are roughly equivalent. However, pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When can tease be used instead of plague?

The words tease and plague are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

When is worry a more appropriate choice than plague?

While the synonyms worry and plague are close in meaning, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plague
Verb
The transmission, beamed back via NASA's Deep Space Network, was sketchy, plagued by ghosts and poor contrast. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 June 2025 This is a key a market for growth but is plagued by the lack of charging infrastructure. —Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Noun
There’s a New Spirituality in Pop Music June 7, 1987 As religion and crypto-religion were locked in mortal combat, the AIDS plague was sweeping across gay communities like a firestorm, to the complete indifference of the federal government and their Christian handmaidens. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025 The pharaoh is said to have retaliated against Moses and refused his requests in Exodus — resulting in a series of plagues. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
  1. afflict
  2. epidemic
  3. persecute
  4. pestilence
  5. torture
  6. illness
  7. besiege
  8. pest
Verb
  • Violent crime, meanwhile, is a scourge afflicting every community.
    — Sizwe Mpofu Walsh, Time, 23 May 2025
  • Apart from overcoming the problems that afflicted the last two launches, one of the most important objectives for this flight is to test the performance of Starship's heat shield.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
Definition of afflict
Noun
  • Secretary Kennedy is unapologetically taking action to reverse the chronic disease epidemic, not subsidize it with taxpayer dollars.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 June 2025
  • In the 80s, amid the growing AIDS epidemic, President Ronald Reagan told reporters that gay men were a threat to the general population.
    — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Definition of epidemic
Verb
  • Leopoldo chose to be the voice of the people who elected him, and was persecuted for it.
    — Imamu "Mu" Tomlinson, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • His parents, Marcelo Netto and Miriam Leitão, are both journalists who resisted the dictatorship and were persecuted.
    — Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 27 May 2025
Definition of persecute
Noun
  • In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Being omnivorous, with a very long and efficient gut, humans coped better than other mammals in the face of pestilence and drought, the better to ensure our survival.
    — John Mariani, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Definition of pestilence
Verb
  • The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
  • Now the man accused of torturing her could be facing a murder charge.
    — Chris Spargo, People.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of torture
Noun
  • Wear masks: All of these respiratory illnesses can be spread through airborne viruses or bacteria particles.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2025
  • Absence of treatment is not absence of illness, of course, but given how much time Gauguin spent in hospitals, that such a familiar disease would have been missed seems unlikely.
    — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
Definition of illness
Verb
  • Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
  • The deadly fire is a heartbreaking ending to a life besieged by challenges.
    — Sam Gillette, People.com, 4 June 2025
Definition of besiege
Noun
  • When gardens will not receive summer plantings consider soil solarization to bake out pests. 65.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025
  • Throughout history the Cacao industry has faced severe pest issues, particularly in terms of plant diseases.
    — Steven Savage, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of pest

Browse Nearby Words

plagiarizing
plague
plagued
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on plague

Nglish: Translation of plague for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plague

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