different between persecute vs plague

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French persécuter, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecutor, from Latin persequor, persecutus (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) +? sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare prosecute. Cf. also pursue.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p?s?kjut/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p??s?kju?t/

Verb

persecute (third-person singular simple present persecutes, present participle persecuting, simple past and past participle persecuted)

1. To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to death for one's race, sexual identity, adherence to a particular religious creed, or mode of worship.
2. To harass with importunity; to pursue with persistent solicitations; to annoy.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• oppress, harass, distress, worry, annoy

Related terms

Translations

References

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /per.se?ku?.te/, [p?rs???ku?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /per.se?ku.te/, [p?rs??ku?t??]

Participle

persec?te

1. vocative masculine singular of persec?tus

English

Etymology

From Middle English plage, borrowed from Old French plage, from Latin pl?ga (“blow, wound”), from plang? (“to strike”). Cognate with Middle Dutch pl?ghe (> Dutch plaag), pl?ghen (> Dutch plagen); Middle Low German pl?ge; Middle High German pl?ge, pfl?ge (> German Plage); pl?gen (> German plagen); Swedish plåga; French plaie, Occitan plaga. Doublet of plaga. Displaced native Old English w?l.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pl?g, IPA^(key): /ple??/, [p?l?e??]
• Rhymes: -e??

Noun

plague (countable and uncountable, plural plagues)

1. (often used with the, sometimes capitalized: the Plague) The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis.
2. (pathology) An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but specifically by the above disease.
3. A widespread affliction, calamity or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution.
4. (figuratively) A grave nuisance, whatever greatly irritates.

5. Collective noun for common grackles

Synonyms

• pest, pestilence

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

plague (third-person singular simple present plagues, present participle plaguing, simple past and past participle plagued)

1. (transitive) To harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly.
2. (transitive) To afflict with a disease or other calamity.

Derived terms

• plagued
• plaguer

Translations

Spanish

Verb

plague

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of plagar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of plagar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of plagar.