to plague
- verb
- /pleɪg/
- From its independence in 1946, the Philippines has been plagued by internal security problems.
- plagued by problems
- plagued by issues
- continue to plague
A question has plagued my mind for years.
- A question has plagued my mind for years.
- Is it accurate to say that you were plagued by over ambition?
- Apple is well placed to solve some of the problems that have plagued traditional banking for years.
- These questions have been plaguing human medicine and nutrition for decades.
- And yet that self talk and that self blame plague her.
- You know, nature's not plagued by envy, greed, you know, and anger.
- So as promised at the beginning, those are the six horsemen that plague businesses on a regular basis.
Examples
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So many people are, are plagued by anxiety.
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There is widespread consensus across party lines regarding the major problems plaguing the U.S. health care system.
Academic text (2008) -
And that feels to me the core of the issues that plague us right now.
-
A question has plagued my mind for years.
-
We are going to talk about a problem that is plaguing this globe.
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We're in Southern California, which is constantly plagued by drought.
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Social isolation and loneliness frequently plague the elderly and produce the feeling that one's life is superfluous.
Academic text (1999) -
This sort of disagreement has long plagued couples throughout the ages.
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Since the end of the war, I have been plagued by recurring daydreams of war.
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The worries about the future continue to plague her thoughts every night.
Synonyms
Annoy someone again and again to make them feel worried or uncomfortable
To cause someone to feel great physical or mental pain
To make someone feel sick or have pain in the body
To be full of insects or small animals that cause harm
Cause pain or trouble to people, animals and places
To bother someone again and again
To damage plants or a town's growth so it fails
To surround and cause repeated problems for someone or something
Annoy or disturb someone repeatedly
To bother someone again and again so they feel upset or tired
To have something bad or unwanted that causes problems
Cause ongoing trouble and confusion for people or things
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A serious disease that spreads and causes fever and painful swollen glands
A severe disease in the Middle Ages that spread across Europe and killed millions
- Specialized
A serious lung infection that spreads between people through the air
- Archaic
A very contagious disease of cattle that usually kills them with fever and severe diarrhea
- Archaic
A mild form of plague that allows the sick person to move and shows only light symptoms
- Specialized
A common illness that causes fever and painful swollen glands in the armpits or groin
- Specialized
A fast, often deadly lung infection that spreads through the air between people
- Specialized
A severe lung infection caused by bacteria that spreads through the air and often kills people
- Specialized
A very dangerous illness when bacteria enter the blood and do not spread between people, often deadly without antibiotics
How Troubled
Surface Forms
Etymology
Plague as a verb keeps the old idea from Latin plaga 'a blow' and means to keep causing trouble or suffering. In other words, to plague someone is to hit them again and again with problems.