plague
A plague is an outbreak or widespread occurrence of disease that affects many people. This can include a variety of diseases, from the Black Death to modern-day epidemics.
When we talk about a plague, we often use it as a noun, but sometimes it can be used as a verb too. When someone says "The city was plagued by poverty," they mean that the city is suffering greatly from poverty, and it's affecting many people. The word implies something is causing trouble or hardship on a large scale.
How common is "plague"?
Word plague is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
Definitions
noun
(often used with the, sometimes capitalized: the Plague) The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.
Real examples of "plague" in context
