plague

Formsplagues, plaguing, plagued

Pluralplagues

1. 1
   make sufferverbtransitive

   To make people or a place suffer from a disease or another disaster.

   Every rainy season, fever and sickness plague the villages near the river.

   A long drought plagued the farmers for three years.

2. 2
   epidemicnouncountable

   An outbreak of a deadly sickness that spreads to many people, especially bubonic plague.

   Doctors worry that a new plague could spread around the world on airplanes.

   Before vaccines, terrible plagues swept through cities every few years.

   Similarpestilence, epidemic

   Note
3. 3
   the disease itselfnoununcountable

   A deadly disease caused by bacteria, most often in the form called bubonic plague.

   Fleas on rats spread the plague from town to town.

   Today, doctors can cure plague with medicine if they catch it early.

   Note
4. 4
   nouncountable

   A disaster that spreads widely, or a sudden rush of harmful things, often seen as God's punishment.

   A plague of locusts ate every crop in the valley.

   The old story says God sent plagues of frogs and flies to punish the king.

   Similarscourge, infestation, blight, curse, affliction

   Note
5. 5
   verbtransitive

   To keep bothering or annoying someone again and again.

   My little brother likes to plague me with silly questions all day.

   Reporters plagued the singer everywhere she went.

   Similarpester, harass, bug, badger, hound

   Note

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