EN

Synonyms for plague

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

bug beset infest afflict scourge blight

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Afflict — to harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly

afflict, trouble, harass, beset, distress, bother, infest, badger, pester, harry, worry, molest, annoy, bug, bedevil, bore, irritate, disturb, chafe, devil informal, hector, besiege

2. Scourge — to afflict with a disease or other calamity

scourge, torment, pain, bane, anguish

Other

blight

Noun

1. Pestilence — an epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but especially that caused by the above disease

pestilence, curse, disease, nuisance, affliction, annoyance, pestis, thorn, vexation, grievance, woe, irritation, infliction, pest dated

Other

infestation, abomination, murrain dated

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly.

  2. v. 2

    To afflict with a disease or other calamity.

    Falling prices and drought plagued the cattle industry.

  3. n. 1

    An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but especially that caused by the above disease.

Related words

Word family
plaguy plaguish plagued
Phrases
white plague purple plague cattle plague hog plague pig plague stallion plague the plague

Forms

Plural
plagues → pestilences, curses, diseases, nuisances…
Past participle
plagued
e.g. plagued → afflicted, troubled, harassed, distressed…

Example sentences

  • bug Sami gave Layla a drink that had a dead bug in it.
  • beset The company is still beset by technical challenges.
  • infest If a basement is damp, mosquitoes infest it.
  • afflict My motto is: Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
  • scourge Islam is the most dangerous scourge for society.
  • blight The potato blight ruined the crop across Ireland.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
plaguerising
bugrising
besetfalling
infestfalling
afflictrising
scourgerising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
bug1, woe1
4 letters
pain1, bore1, pest1, bane1
5 letters
worry2, harry2, devil2, curse1, annoy2, thorn1, beset2, chafe1
6 letters
bother2, hector2, badger2, harass2, blight1, molest2, pester2, infest2, pestis
7 letters
disease2, trouble2, disturb2, torment2, anguish2, scourge1, afflict2, besiege2, bedevil3, murrain
8 letters
distress2, nuisance2, irritate3, vexation
9 letters
annoyance3, grievance2
10 letters
irritation4, affliction3, pestilence3, infliction3
11 letters
infestation4, abomination5

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (worry2 = 2 syllables).