French word

fléau

Pronunciation

IPA/fleo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounscourge

Example

La pollution est un fléau mondial.

Pollution is a global scourge.

Illustration for fléau (scourge)

More examples

Il faut lutter contre le fléau de la pauvreté.

We must fight the scourge of poverty.

Core concept

A destructive force spreading through a population or environment.

Common phrases

  • lutter contre le fléau

    fight the scourge

  • combattre le fléau

    combat the scourge

Similar words

problème: A difficult matter that needs to be addressed or resolved.
catastrophe: A devastating event causing major damage or losses.
pandémie: A disease outbreak that rapidly spreads across regions or worldwide.

Definition in French

Désigne un grand mal ou une calamité qui cause des dommages étendus à la société, à une population ou à l'environnement.

Word origin

French fléau descends from Latin flagellum, meaning "whip," through Old French forms, with the literal sense of a threshing flail developing into a figurative destructive scourge.

Usage tips

  • Fléau is masculine, so standard forms include un fléau and ce fléau.

Other meanings

  • disasternoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word