The word "scourge" means a cause of great suffering or hardship. It refers to something or someone that inflicts severe pain, punishment, or devastation on others. Full definition
The U2 frontman is an entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur perhaps without peer — or worse, he told the graduates, «the worst scourge on God's green earth: a rock star with a cause.» (inc.com)
The officer ordered him to be taken into the barracks and questioned by scourging in order to get the truth out of him as to what he had really done to cause such an outbreak. (religion-online.org)
At first glance, the trophies for 150 side quests and 100 errands will be the longest timesink, followed by Scourge of the Tainted. (wccftech.com)