PLAGUE Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

plague 1 of 2

verb

Definition of plague

as in to afflict

to cause persistent suffering to plagued by a cough for all of last week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plague

2 of 2

noun

ˈplāg

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

Synonym Chooser

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

Northern Togo has been plagued in recent years by attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 In a market historically plagued by operational errors from manual trade entry, that kind of interoperability materially reduces trade-booking risk and post-trade breaks. — Brian Bejile, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Noun

And Gakpo offers a solution both on the wing and through the middle, should injuries plague Spurs’ centre-forwards again. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Bret Easton Ellis’s 2023 novel The Shards is a tragedy, an autofiction imaginarium of ’80s excess in which a serial killer and a murderous cult plague Ellis’s senior year of high school. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plague

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague

Verb

His grandmother had already died of kuru, a disease that mostly afflicted women and children.

— Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
That constraint contributes to the housing crises afflicting these seasonal recreation areas.

— Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of afflict

Noun

Eligibility crisis Defense officials have long warned that America's obesity epidemic is a national security problem, shrinking the pool of young people eligible to serve -- which has translated to reductions in recruitment.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
California’s most severe measles epidemic in recent memory occurred between 1988 and 1990 — an era before health officials recommended children receive a second dose of the measles vaccine.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of epidemic

Verb

Other Eurasian emperors of the time also did not persecute occult practitioners as Ivan did in the lead-up to the second oprichnina, actions more in line with attitudes in early modern Christian Europe than those common among rulers of Asia.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Many Marranos persecuted by the Inquisition did secretly maintain a Jewish identity.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

The Assad regime fell in 2024, but the bodies of Khalil’s two friends were never recovered; their families assumed that they had been tortured, killed, and buried in a mass grave.

— Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
One of Nader’s grandsons, Shah Rukh, was tortured by a greedy court eunuch named Agha Muhammad to force him to reveal the location of the invaluable diamond.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of torture

Noun

Later, a fellow resident gave him a house, and neighbors supported him, especially during his final two years of illness.

— Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Those memories of Keegan chasing, Keegan scoring, Keegan leading 1970s Liverpool across England and Europe to trophy upon trophy were clattered by 2026 reports of his illness and death.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of illness

Noun

How to Use Essential Oils to Repel Flies Always dilute essential oils before using them for pest control.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 21 Aug. 2026
Although the number of patients coming to the clinics has decreased over time, Mangia said, there is still concern about other issues tied to the warehouse site, such as the pests.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of pest

Browse Nearby Words

plagiarizing

plague

plagued

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of plague

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

'Avoid Like the Plague': A History

A History of ‘Plague’: Illness as...

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on plague

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

expeditious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of plague

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to plague

'Avoid Like the Plague': A History

A History of ‘Plague’: Illness as...

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on plague

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

expeditious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes