Meaning
scourge, plague
- A disaster, scourge, or widespread affliction causing great suffering.
- A whip or scourge used for punishment (historical or religious).
In a sentence
La carestia fu un autentico flagello per l'intera regione rurale.
The famine was a true scourge for the entire rural region.
Le organizzazioni internazionali lottano per sconfiggere il flagello della povertà.
International organizations fight to defeat the scourge of poverty.
Quell'epidemia non è stata forse il peggior flagello del secolo?
Wasn't that epidemic perhaps the worst scourge of the century?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| flagello | masculine · singular |
| flagelli | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- High register or rhetorical; often used to describe severe social problems like war or famine.