scourge has definitions from the field of arms
1
[ noun ] (arms) a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)

Synonyms

flagellum

Used in print

(Guy Bolton, The Olympians....)

Each wore the monkish scourge at his waist but this , it seems , was not employed for self-flagellation .

Related terms

whip flagellate

2
[ verb ] whip

Synonyms

flagellate

Examples

"The religious fanatics flagellated themselves"

3
[ noun ] something causes misery or death

Synonyms

curse nemesis bane

Examples

"the bane of my life"

Related terms

affliction lay_waste_to

4
[ verb ] punish severely

Related terms

punish

5
[ verb ] devastate or ravage

Examples

"The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion"

6
[ noun ] a person who inspires fear or dread

Synonyms

terror threat

Examples

"he was the terror of the neighborhood"

Related terms

person

*