scourge

[ skurj ]

noun

1. a whip or lash, especially for the infliction of punishment or torture.
2. a person or thing that applies or administers punishment or severe criticism.
3. a cause of affliction or calamity:

   Disease and famine are scourges of humanity.

   Synonyms: bane, plague

verb (used with object)

scourged, scourging.

1. to whip with a scourge; lash.
2. to punish, chastise, or criticize severely.

   Synonyms: castigate, correct

scourge

/ skɜːdʒ /

noun

1. a person who harasses, punishes, or causes destruction
2. a means of inflicting punishment or suffering
3. a whip used for inflicting punishment or torture

verb

1. to whip; flog
2. to punish severely

Derived Forms

• ˈscourger, noun

Other Word Forms

• scourger noun
• scourging·ly adverb
• self-scourging adjective
• un·scourged adjective
• un·scourging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scourge¹

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French escorge, derivative of escorgier to whip < Vulgar Latin *excorrigiāre, derivative of Latin corrigia thong, whip ( ex- ¹ ); (v.) Middle English < Old French escorgier

Word History and Origins

Origin of scourge¹

C13: from Anglo-French escorge, from Old French escorgier (unattested) to lash, from es- ex- ¹+ Latin corrigia whip

Example Sentences

Visitors arriving by train were treated to this witty meditation on the scourge of Britain's seaside towns, equal parts warning and celebration.

From BBC

Recent rains have upped the odds that the forest will see more of the scourge.

From Los Angeles Times

Stewart Wilson-Turner, whose son Aiden is a sophomore at Pali High, is excited he will be able to get back to in-person learning, but noted the possibility of an infamous L.A. scourge.

From Los Angeles Times

"Today," he said, "we issue a similar warning. The fate of free societies is tied to the willingness to fight the scourge of antisemitism."

From BBC

Musk’s unrestrained, all-access scourge through the government has led pundits like Nate Silver to compare him to a ‘great man’ of history — that mythic personage whose unhindered agency pushes history forward.

From Salon