PLAGUED Synonyms: 156 Similar and Opposite Words

plagued 1 of 2

adjective

as in tormented

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Dissimilar Words

plagued

2 of 2

verb

past tense of plague

as in afflicted

to cause persistent suffering to plagued by a cough for all of last week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 plagued

Verb

Garbage’s set was plagued by technical difficulties, but singer Shirley Manson kept her cool, joking that this was just the kind of thing the band was used to. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026 The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026 Troubles from the start The groundbreaking attraction, which Six Flags has sunk millions of dollars into, was plagued with problems from the outset. — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Overcrowded apartment buildings were plagued by vermin, spotty electricity and poor plumbing — but the biggest problem was the gang. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Smoky skies plagued the East Coast and Midwest again in summer 2026, as wildfires hundreds of miles away forced people to cancel sports practices and run air conditioners around the clock. — Michael A. Robinson, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026 But the car has been plagued with unreliability, most of it affecting George Russell and not Kimi Antonelli (who now, like Button in 2009, has a commanding lead over everyone else in the driver’s championship). — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026 He's revamped the Reflecting Pool, a project that's been plagued with problems. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 On Tuesday, yields around the world jumped to multi-year highs as fears around inflation and government borrowing, among others , plagued investors. — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plagued

Adjective

Alves says that some of the people most frustrated with what’s going on lack that lived experience.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Miller’s hands dropped quickly to his side in frustrated dejection.

— Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of frustrated

Adjective

On Monday, Hamby was charged with murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, jail records show.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Hamby was booked Monday on charges of murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony.

— Christopher Harris, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggravated

Verb

García Luna pledged to restore independence and public confidence in the Public Ministry and began reviewing cases involving officials, journalists, and others who alleged that they had been politically persecuted under the previous administration.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Many Marranos persecuted by the Inquisition did secretly maintain a Jewish identity.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of persecuted

Adjective

Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Eve resists scream-queen clichés, but Gemma’s boringly typical tortured backstory is as flat as her wan chemistry with Nick.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.

— F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of besieged

Adjective

Each application is pre-tested and integrated into the platform to reduce deployment time and improve reliability for end users.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
But summer back in New York, amid the fug of the city, requires a return to a tested and true formula.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 June 2025

Definition of tested

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“Plagued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plagued. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of plagued

adjective

verb

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