scourge
To strike with a scourge or whipTo strike (a person, an animal, etc.) with a scourge (noun etymology 1 sense 1) or whip; to flog, to whip.
» Algeria should eradicate the terrorism scourge.
Meaning
5 senses(transitive)To strike (a person, an animal, etc.) with a scourge (noun etymology 1 sense 1) or whip; to flog, to whip.
(transitive)To drive, or force (a person, an animal, etc.) to move, with or as if with a scourge or whip.
(figuratively, transitive)To punish (a person, an animal, etc.); to chastise.
(figuratively, transitive)To cause (someone or something) persistent (and often widespread) pain and suffering or trouble; to afflict, to torment.
(Scotland, figuratively, transitive)Of a crop or a farmer: to deplete the fertility of (land or soil).
- punish severely; excoriate
- whip
- cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
Examples
9 sentencesAlgeria should eradicate the terrorism scourge.
Bureaucracy is a universally-denounced scourge.
Algeria is now free of the terrorist scourge.
Islam is the most dangerous scourge for society.
Empowered, informed citizens are the scourge of any tyrant.
deMündige, informierte Bürger sind die Geißel eines jeden Tyrannen.
Origin
From Middle English scourgen (“to whip, scourge; to afflict; to punish”), and then either:From Middle English scourgen (“to whip, scourge; to afflict; to punish”), and then either:
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
scourges, scourging, scourged, scourgedSynonyms
25 synonymsWord family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle