plague
noun
an epidemic disease that causes high mortality; pestilence.
had been plaguing
-
past perfect progressiveof plague.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally diagnosed the problem that had been plaguing Roki Sasaki ever since he arrived from Japan last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
She knew this would have something to do with Ezra Garfield, the man who she told police had been plaguing her with messages on social media after they briefly dated.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
“Six weeks before the fire, my wife died of lung disease, which had been plaguing her for four or five years,” Cron said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2025
Officials have acknowledged that they underestimated the dry conditions that had been plaguing the region for years.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
The trio lapsed into silence, but not for long, because the question that had been plaguing Dawson just had to come out.
From Dave Dawson at Casablanca by Robert Sydney Bowen
