SCOURGED Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

scourged

verb

past tense of scourge

as in ravaged

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in whipped

to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark

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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 scourged These scourged the poor harder than anyone else. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourged

Verb

London had been ravaged by plague since the summer of 1592, with high mortality rates in the city and suburbs meaning the playhouses were closed for business for twenty of the following twenty-two months.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Swarms of police officers and ambulances racing to the grounds of a school ravaged by gunfire has become a familiar scene, and one that represents only the beginning of incalculable pain, loss and trauma.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ravaged

Verb

Brown became the leader of the House Trade Working Group, a caucus of Democratic representatives opposed to free-trade agreements who whipped votes on those deals.

— Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
Fire crews scrambled late Saturday as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area.

— Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of whipped

Verb

Both the rocket and the camera were destroyed after crashing into the Earth at a speed of about 340 miles per hour.

— Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroyed

Verb

Iran’s military has been devastated by American attacks, but the Iranian forces have continued to launch missiles, drones and naval operations to inflict damage in the region.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
At home, the United States had defeated their armies, destroyed their infrastructure, retaken their territory, emancipated their enslaved, and devastated their economy and society into a catastrophic mess.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastated

Verb

Public support among Americans has plummeted, and partners in Europe and elsewhere have slapped sanctions on Israel.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
According to an affidavit for an arrest warrant, Gilder also attempted to leave with a ring, which was slapped out of his possession and recovered at the scene of the robbery.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of slapped

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“Scourged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourged. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of scourged

verb

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