scourge
//skɜːrdʒ//
Noun
scourgeSingular
scourgesPlural
1
A person or thing that causes great trouble, suffering, or devastation.
Poverty remains a scourge in many parts of the world.
2
A whip used as an instrument of punishment or torture.
The prisoner was beaten with a scourge.
Synonym
Verb
scourgeInfinitive
scourgePresent tense
scourgedPast tense
scourgedPast participle
scourgingPresent participle
scourgesThird-person singular
1
To cause great suffering or affliction to someone or something.
The region has been scourged by drought for years.
2
To whip or flog severely as a form of punishment.
In ancient times, criminals were often scourged in public as punishment.