A whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor).

synonym: flagellum.

Roget 975: scourge, rod, cane, stick; ratan^†, rattan; birch, birch rod; azote^†, blacksnake^†, bullwhack [U.S.], chicote^†, kurbash^†, quirt, rawhide, sjambok^†; rod in pickle; switch, ferule, cudgel, truncheon.    whip, bullwhip, lash, strap, thong, cowhide, knout; cat, cat o'nine tails; rope's end.    pillory, stocks, whipping post; cucking stool^†, ducking stool; brank^†; trebuchet^†, trebuket^†.    [instruments of torture: list], triangle, wooden horse, iron maiden, thumbscrew, boot, rack, wheel, iron heel; chinese water torture.    treadmill, crank, galleys.    scaffold; block, ax, guillotine; stake; cross; gallows, gibbet, tree, drop, noose, rope, halter, bowstring; death chair, electric chair; gas chamber; lethal injection; firing squad; mecate^†.    house of correction etc. (prison) 752.    goaler, jailer; executioner; electrocutioner^†; lyncher; hangman; headsman^†; Jack Ketch.    ... show more

Dutch: plaag, schrik, gesel

Something causing misery or death.

synonyms: bane, curse, nemesis.

Roget 830: painfulness etc. adj.; trouble, care etc. (pain) 828; trial; affliction, infliction; blow, stroke, burden, load, curse; bitter pill, bitter draught; waters of bitterness.    annoyance, grievance, nuisance, vexation, mortification, sickener^†; bore, bother, pother, hot water, sea of troubles" [Hamlet], hornet's nest, plague, pest.    cancer, ulcer, sting, thorn; canker etc. (bane) 663; scorpion etc. (evil doer) 913; dagger etc. (arms) 727; scourge etc. (instrument of punishment) 975; carking care, canker worm of care.    mishap, misfortune etc. (adversity) 735; desagrement [Fr.], esclandre [Fr.], rub.    source of irritation, source of annoyance; wound, open sore; sore subject, skeleton in the closet; thorn in the flesh, thorn in one's side; where the shoe pinches, gall and wormwood.    sorry sight, heavy news, provocation; affront etc. 929; head and front of one's offending" [Othello]. infestation, molestation; malignity etc. (malevolence) 907.    ... show more

Roget 663: bane, curse; evil etc. 619; hurtfulness etc. (badness) 649^†; painfulness etc. (cause of pain) 830; scourge etc. (punishment) 975; damnosa hereditas [Lat.]; white elephant.    sting, fang, thorn, tang, bramble, brier, nettle.    poison, toxin; teratogen; leaven, virus venom; arsenic; antimony, tartar emetic; strychnine, nicotine; miasma, miasm^†, mephitis^†, malaria, azote^†, sewer gas; pest.    [poisonous substances, examples] Albany hemp^†, arsenious oxide, arsenious acid; bichloride of mercury; carbonic acid, carbonic gas; choke damp, corrosive sublimate, fire damp; hydrocyanic acid, cyanide, Prussic acid, hydrogen cyanide; marsh gas, nux vomica [Lat.], ratsbane^†.    [poisonous plants] hemlock, hellebore, nightshade, belladonna, henbane, aconite; banewort^†, bhang, ganja^†, hashish; Upas tree.    [list of poisonous substances] Toxline (online).    rust, worm, helminth [Med.], moth, moth and rust, fungus, mildew; dry rot; canker, cankerworm; cancer; torpedo; viper etc. (evil doer) 913; demon etc. 980.    [Science of poisons] toxicology.    ... show more

Dutch: verderf, Nemesis, anathema, doem, maledictie, nemesis, vervloeking, vloek
Polish: przekleństwo

A person who inspires fear or dread.

synonyms: terror, threat.

Polish: postrach

Punish severely; excoriate.

Whip.

synonym: flagellate.

Roget 972: punish; chastise, chasten; castigate, correct, inflict punishment, administer correction, deal retributive justice; cowhide, lambaste [Slang].    visit upon, pay; pay out, serve out; do for; make short work of, give a lesson to, serve one right, make an example of; have a rod in pickle for; give it one.    strike etc. 276; deal a blow to, administer the lash, smite; slap, slap the face; smack, cuff, box the ears, spank, thwack, thump, beat, lay on, swinge^†, buffet; thresh, thrash, pummel, drub, leather, trounce, sandbag, baste, belabor; lace, lace one's jacket; dress, dress down, give a dressing, trim, warm, wipe, tund^†, cob, bang, strap, comb, lash, lick, larrup, wallop, whop, flog, scourge, whip, birch, cane, give the stick, switch, flagellate, horsewhip, bastinado, towel, rub down with an oaken towel, rib roast, dust one's jacket, fustigate^†, pitch into, lay about one, beat black and blue; beat to a mummy, beat to a jelly; give a black eye.    tar and feather; pelt, stone, lapidate^†; masthead, keelhaul.    execute; bring to the block, bring to the gallows; behead, decapitate, guillotine; decollate; hang, turn off, gibbet, bowstring, hang draw and quarter; shoot; decimate; burn; break on the wheel, crucify; empale^†, impale; flay; lynch; electrocute; gas, send to the gas chamber.    torture; put on, put to the rack; picket.    banish, exile, transport, expel, ostracize; rusticate; drum out; dismiss, disbar, disbench^†; strike off the roll, unfrock; post.    suffer, suffer for, suffer punishment; be flogged.    be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty; be hanged &c.; come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing [Coll.], twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes; be rightly served; be electrocuted, fry [Coll.], ride the lightning [Coll.]; face the firing squad.    ... show more

Cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly.

synonyms: desolate, devastate, lay waste to, ravage, waste.

Dutch: verwoesten