plague

To keep causing someone or something problems, pain, or worry.

• Doubts plague him every day.
• Technical problems plagued the new website.
• She kept plaguing me with questions about the trip.

How to use it: be plagued by something (The project was plagued by delays.); be plagued with something (She was plagued with doubts.)

Similar words: trouble, bother, torment

Common phrases: plague someone, plague a project, plague someone with questions

To cause people to suffer from a disease or disaster.

• Disease plagued the village.
• Repeated droughts have plagued the region for years.
• The settlers were plagued by fever throughout the winter.

How to use it: be plagued by something (The region was plagued by famine.)

Similar words: afflict, ravage

Common phrases: plague a region, plague a community

A serious disease caused by bacteria, often spread by fleas, that can kill people.

• Plague spread through the town.
• Many people died of plague during the outbreak.
• The doctor suspected that the patient had plague.

Similar words: bubonic plague

Common phrases: bubonic plague, plague outbreak, die of plague

An unusually large number of insects or animals that damage a place.

• A plague of mice ruined the grain.
• Farmers faced a plague of locusts last summer.
• The island suffered another insect plague.

How to use it: a plague of something (A plague of locusts destroyed the wheat.)

Similar words: infestation

Common phrases: plague of locusts, plague of rats, insect plague

A disaster or harmful condition that affects many people, sometimes understood as punishment from God.

• Famine became a plague upon the land.
• They believed the drought was a plague sent by God.
• The story describes ten plagues that struck an ancient kingdom.

How to use it: a plague of something (The country suffered a plague of violence.)

Similar words: scourge, calamity, affliction

Common phrases: terrible plague, plague upon someone, plague of violence

A person or thing that causes great annoyance or trouble.

• That boy is a plague.
• Her endless questions became a plague to the whole household.
• These noisy visitors are a real plague.

How to use it: a plague to someone (That noisy boy is a plague to his neighbours.)

Similar words: nuisance, pest, bother

Common phrases: a real plague, plague to someone