plague

[pleyg]

noun

1. an epidemic disease that causes high mortality; pestilence.

2. an infectious, epidemic disease caused by a bacterium, Yersinia pestis, characterized by fever, chills, and prostration, transmitted to humans from rats by means of the bites of fleas.

3. any widespread affliction, calamity, or evil, especially one regarded as a direct punishment by God.

   a plague of war and desolation.

4. any cause of trouble, annoyance, or vexation.

   Uninvited guests are a plague.

   Synonyms: torment, bother, nuisance

verb (used with object)

plagued, plaguing 

1. to trouble, annoy, or torment in any manner.

   The question of his future plagues him with doubt.

2. to annoy, bother, or pester.

   Ants plagued the picnickers.

   Synonyms: disturb, irritate, badger, worry, fret, hector, harry, vex, harass

3. to smite with a plague, pestilence, death, etc.; scourge.

   those whom the gods had plagued.

4. to infect with a plague; cause an epidemic in or among.

   diseases that still plague the natives of Ethiopia.

5. to afflict with any evil.

   He was plagued by allergies all his life.

plague

/ pleɪɡ /

noun

1. any widespread and usually highly contagious disease with a high fatality rate

2. an infectious disease of rodents, esp rats, transmitted to man by the bite of the rat flea ( Xenopsylla cheopis )

3. See bubonic plague

4. something that afflicts or harasses

5. informal,  an annoyance or nuisance

6. a pestilence, affliction, or calamity on a large scale, esp when regarded as sent by God

7. archaic,  used to express annoyance, disgust, etc

   a plague on you

verb

1. to afflict or harass

2. to bring down a plague upon

3. informal,  to annoy

plague

1. Any of various highly infectious, usually fatal epidemic diseases.

2. An often fatal disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted to humans usually by fleas that have bitten infected rats or other rodents.

3. ◆ Bubonic plague, the most common type, is characterized by the tender, swollen lymph nodes called buboes, fever, clotting abnormalities of the blood, and tissue necrosis. An epidemic of bubonic plague in fourteenth-century Europe and Asia was known as the Black Death.

plague

1. A highly contagious disease, such as bubonic plague, that spreads quickly throughout a population and causes widespread sickness and death.

The term is also used to refer to widespread outbreaks of many kinds, such as a “plague of locusts.”

Other Word Forms

• plaguer noun
• antiplague noun
• unplagued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plague¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plage, from Latin plāga “stripe, wound,” Late Latin: “pestilence”

Word History and Origins

Origin of plague¹

C14: from Late Latin plāga pestilence, from Latin: a blow; related to Greek plēgē a stroke, Latin plangere to strike

Idioms and Phrases

see avoid like the plague.

Synonym Study

See bother.

Example Sentences

The discussion over Makary’s position comes as former and current FDA officials say uncertainty has plagued the agency following job cuts, a government shutdown and turnover in the leadership ranks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus confronts a plague that has been laying waste to Thebes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has been repeatedly plagued by corruption scandals.

Read more on Barron's

Those that remain are plagued by power cuts and a lack of running water.

Read more on Barron's

Ukraine has long been plagued by corruption and cracking down on graft is seen as a key requirement of its bid to join the European Union.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• contagion 
• curse 
• epidemic 
• infection 
• infestation 
• influenza 
• invasion 
• outbreak 
• pandemic 
• scourge