plague 1 of 2

verb

Definition of plaguenext
as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to plagued by a cough for all of last week

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plague

2 of 2

noun

ˈplāg How to pronounce plague (audio)
as in epidemic
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death the Black Death was a plague that killed about one third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb plague contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plague are annoy, harass, harry, pester, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

In what contexts can annoy take the place of plague?

While in some cases nearly identical to plague, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When would harass be a good substitute for plague?

The words harass and plague can be used in similar contexts, but harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When is it sensible to use harry instead of plague?

Although the words harry and plague have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When might pester be a better fit than plague?

In some situations, the words pester and plague are roughly equivalent. However, pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When can tease be used instead of plague?

The words tease and plague are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

When is worry a more appropriate choice than plague?

While the synonyms worry and plague are close in meaning, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plague
Verb
Overcrowded apartment buildings were plagued by vermin, spotty electricity and poor plumbing — but the biggest problem was the gang. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Smoky skies plagued the East Coast and Midwest again in summer 2026, as wildfires hundreds of miles away forced people to cancel sports practices and run air conditioners around the clock. — Michael A. Robinson, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
Many of us hear talk of plague and think that humanity, as ever, will manage to muddle through. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026 The two soon stumble back into the cult that created the plague doctor — a cult in which people are killed and resurrected, taken apart and rebuilt. — S.m. Hallow, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
  1. afflict
  2. epidemic
  3. persecute
  4. pestilence
  5. torture
  6. illness
  7. besiege
  8. pest
Verb
  • Over 600,000 women a year in America are afflicted with postpartum depression in America, research shows.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It’s typically diagnosed in adults — only about five births each year are afflicted by the condition nationwide.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of afflict
Noun
  • Drugmakers found a promising cure for the obesity epidemic and their stocks were rewarded for it.
    — Avalon Pernell, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Although annual overdose deaths have declined since peaking in 2022, the epidemic remains one of the nation's deadliest public health crises, fueling years of litigation against drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of epidemic
Verb
  • More generally, the movie, directed by Elegance Bratton, is about the historical context of this murder, the conscious and organized effort by white Southern citizens and officials to intimidate, persecute, and subjugate Black people.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Many see Trump as the only president to defend Nigerian Christians; his administration claims they are being persecuted by Islamist groups.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of persecute
Noun
  • As famine, war, pestilence and death galloped through, religious thought had been taking on an apocalyptic and self-abnegatory fervor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • Some of those tombstones explicitly referred to a pestilence as the cause of death.
    — Marc Zimmer, The Conversation, 12 May 2026
Definition of pestilence
Verb
  • The former beauty queen’s family claim that she was tortured by the suspects over dowry demands, reported the BBC.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • After 33 years spent in Italy, Mariano Guerra, an Italian doctor, returns to Argentina to testify at the trial against the former military officers who abducted, tortured and enslaved him during the military dictatorship.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of torture
Noun
  • Fewer than 10 people typically die of the illness each year, but nearly everyone who contracts it dies, according to the CDC.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
  • If a parent has an illness so contagious that the hospital can’t adequately protect other patients from it, such as tuberculosis, the parent and child would probably be put in an isolation room with special airflow to contain germs.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of illness
Verb
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One of them, Muammar Ibrahim, reported for Al Jazeera’s Arabic network while the city was besieged.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of besiege
Noun
  • In one of the findings, bat houses — artificial roosts in urban environments, similar to nest boxes for birds — were doing their job helping to suppress pests on pecan farms in Texas.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The state is now warning farmers to be on the lookout for a new version of the pest.
    — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pest

Browse Nearby Words

plagiarizing
plague
plagued
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on plague

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plague

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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