noun
- a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering
- a whip used as an instrument of punishment
Usage: historical
verb
- to whip as a punishment
- to cause great suffering to
Usage: historical
Examples
- Malaria remains a scourge in many tropical regions.
- The dictator was considered the scourge of his people.
- Pirates were the scourge of merchant ships in the Caribbean.
- Drought continues to scourge the farming communities.
- The medieval prisoner was scourged for his crimes.
- War has scourged this region for decades.
- Disease scourged the overcrowded city.