scourge

UK: /ˈskɜː^rdʒ/ US: /skɝdʒ/ ,(skûrj)

Inflections of 'scourge' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

scourges

v 3rd person singular

scourging

v pres p

scourged

v past

scourged

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

scourge /skɜrdʒ/   n., v., scourged, scourg•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. a whip for dealing out punishment.
2. a cause of great trouble:
   the scourge of famine.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

scourge  (skûrj), n., v., scourged, scourg•ing. 
n. 

1. a whip or lash, esp. for the infliction of punishment or torture.
2. a person or thing that applies or administers punishment or severe criticism.
3. a cause of affliction or calamity:
   Disease and famine are scourges of humanity.

v.t. 

4. to whip with a scourge;
   lash.
5. to punish, chastise, or criticize severely.

• Old French escorgier
• Vulgar Latin *excorrigiāre, derivative of Latin corrigia thong, whip (see ex-¹); (verb, verbal) Middle English
• Anglo-French escorge, derivative of escorgier to whip
• (noun, nominal) Middle English 1175–1225

scourg′er, n. 
scourg′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 3. plague, bane.
• 5. correct, castigate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

scourge / skɜːdʒ/ noun

1. a person who harasses, punishes, or causes destruction
2. a means of inflicting punishment or suffering
3. a whip used for inflicting punishment or torture

verb (transitive)

1. to whip; flog
2. to punish severely

Etymology: 13th Century: from Anglo-French escorge, from Old French escorgier (unattested) to lash, from es- ex-¹ + Latin corrigia whip

ˈscourger noun