scourge

American  

[skurj] / skɜrdʒ /

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

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verb (used with object)

scourged, scourging

1. to whip with a scourge; lash.

2. to punish, chastise, or criticize severely.

   Synonyms:

   castigate, correct

scourge British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to whip; flog

2. to punish severely

Other Word Forms

• scourger noun
• scourgingly adverb
• self-scourging adjective
• unscourged adjective
• unscourging adjective

Etymology

Origin of scourge

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

Explanation

If something makes people miserable or causes them great pain and torment, it's a scourge. A corrupt government is one kind of scourge, and a plague of insects that destroys a farmer's crops is another kind of scourge. Dating from the 13th century, scourge originally meant "a whip used as punishment." It wasn't long until the figurative meaning of "something causing pain or misery" became even more common. A scourge tends to be something that causes folks to suffer terribly, whether it's a tsunami or unjust laws. You can also use this word as a verb: "Cutting the city's transportation budget will do nothing but scourge people without cars."

Example Sentences

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the latest numbers were "shocking" and the government "stands against the scourge of antisemitism".

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Now chronic disease is on the rise, a scourge these animal lovers attribute to ultraprocessed kibble and overmedication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

By 1529, she had died, possibly succumbing to smallpox, a European scourge.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

They worried it could turn into deflation, a major scourge of the economy during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 23, 2026

What actually resulted from its use was an unprecedented scourge of mites.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• curse
• pest
• terror