plague
/pleɪɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /pleɪɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈplāg/ (ame, mw)
plague — verb
- plaguepresent simple I / you / we / they
- plagues3rd person singular
- plaguing-ing form
- plaguedpast simple
1. to keep giving a person, place, or activity pain, worry, or other trouble for a
to keep giving a person, place, or activity pain, worry, or other trouble for a long time
For months, sharp knee pain plagued Ken during every bus ride.
problem subject + plague + person
The small factory was plagued by power cuts all summer.
passive: be plagued by something
Doubt plagued Sara after she signed the costly gym contract.
Bad weather has plagued the island ferry service since January.
Even now, stomach trouble still plagues the rescue dog.
文法句型
plague somebody/something
be plagued by something
用法筆記
Often used in the passive with by, and the cause is usually pain, illness, delay, doubt, or another continuing problem. Distinguish from sense 2: if someone keeps bothering a person with questions or requests, that pattern usually belongs there.
常見錯誤
2. to keep pressing a person for answers, attention, or some action until they feel
to keep pressing a person for answers, attention, or some action until they feel annoyed
The children plagued their uncle with questions about the old war photo.
plague somebody with questions
All morning, reporters plagued the actor for details about the breakup.
plague somebody for details
My little brother plagued Mum all week for the giant toy robot.
At dinner, Leo plagued his sister with one question after another.
- leave alone
stop bothering someone
文法句型
plague somebody with something
plague somebody for something
用法筆記
The object is the person being bothered, and the annoying thing often follows with, especially with questions, calls, or requests. Distinguish from sense 1: that sense is about a longer-lasting problem such as pain or delay, often in the passive.
常見錯誤
plague — noun
- plaguesingular
- plaguesplural
1. a deadly illness that can move quickly through a town or country and kill many p
a deadly illness that can move quickly through a town or country and kill many people; often the historical disease carried to people by fleas living on rats
In 1665, plague emptied whole streets in parts of London.
bare disease noun as subject
The doctor feared plague after seeing the boy's swollen neck.
Fleas on sick rats spread plague through the crowded port.
Many families left the town when plague reached the market district.
History lessons often mention plague when students study the Black Death.
- epidemic
neutral medical word for rapid spread, not the name of one specific disease
- pestilence
literary or old-fashioned word for a deadly epidemic
- outbreak
broader and often smaller in scale; can refer to the start of many diseases
文法句型
die of plague
outbreak of plague
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when naming the disease itself, but plural plagues is possible for separate historical outbreaks. Distinguish from sense 2: with a plague of + plural noun, the meaning shifts to a damaging mass of animals, insects, or other unwanted things.
常見錯誤
2. a great mass of harmful animals, insects, or other unwanted things that appear t
a great mass of harmful animals, insects, or other unwanted things that appear together and do damage
After the flood, the village faced a plague of mosquitoes.
fixed pattern: a plague of + plural noun
The farm battled a plague of rats in the grain shed.
Two warm weeks brought a plague of flies into the fish market.
By July, the farmers were fighting a plague of locusts.
The city park had a plague of rabbits digging under young trees.
- infestation
more technical word for harmful insects or animals in a place
- swarm
stresses the moving mass itself, especially of insects
- flood
figurative for too many things, not necessarily living creatures
文法句型
a plague of + plural noun
用法筆記
Most often used in the pattern a plague of + plural noun, especially for animals or insects causing harm. Distinguish from sense 1: here the word names the mass itself, not a deadly disease.