Dictionary definition · scourge
noun
- a whip used to inflict punishment
- something causing misery or death"the bane of my life"
- a person who inspires fear or dread"he was the terror of the neighborhood"
verb
- punish severely; excoriate
- whip"The religious fanatics flagellated themselves"
- cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly"The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).