Word · Frequency #24980
pestilence
瘟疫，疫病
a deadly epidemic disease, especially one that spreads quickly and causes many deaths
- 1.
Any epidemic disease that is highly contagious, infectious, virulent and devastating.
任何高度传染、感染、致命且毁灭性的流行病
有害的事物，罪恶；任何高度传染、感染、致命且毁灭性的流行病；瘟疫；散布毒害的事物；罪恶；[医] 疫病
In use
The medieval town was devastated by a pestilence that killed half the population.
Greed is a modern pestilence that corrupts society.
The authorities took drastic measures to contain the pestilence before it spread further.
a/the pestilence of [something]
表示有害影响或罪恶的蔓延。
The pestilence of corruption has infected the government.
腐败的瘟疫感染了政府。
pestilence spreads/rages
The pestilence spread rapidly through the crowded city.
瘟疫在拥挤的城市迅速蔓延。
like a pestilence
False news spreads like a pestilence.
假新闻像瘟疫一样传播。
Common mistakes
The disease pestilenced the population.The disease brought pestilence to the population.
Pestilence 是名词，不能用作动词。应改为名词结构。
The pestilence outbreak killed many people.The pestilential outbreak killed many people.
Pestilence 是名词，修饰另一个名词时应使用形容词形式 pestilential。
Connections
Collocations
- pestilence and famine
- 瘟疫与饥荒
- The old chronicle records a time of pestilence and famine.旧编年史记录了一段瘟疫与饥荒的时期。
- pestilence broke out
- 瘟疫爆发
- A pestilence broke out in the port city after the floods.洪水过后，这座港口城市爆发了瘟疫。
- pestilence spread
- 瘟疫蔓延
- The pestilence spread quickly through the crowded neighborhoods.瘟疫在拥挤的街区迅速蔓延。
- pestilence raged
- 瘟疫肆虐
- The pestilence raged for months before it subsided.瘟疫肆虐了数月才平息。
- die of pestilence
- 死于瘟疫
- Thousands died of pestilence in that harsh winter.在那个严冬，成千上万的人死于瘟疫。
- pestilence took a heavy toll
Learner notes
Memory Tip
记：pest像害虫，ilence像silence寂静——害虫带来瘟疫，城市死寂一片。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：historical documents、literary works、formal addresses pestilence 属于正式用词，通常出现在文学作品、历史叙述或正式演讲中；日常口语里较少使用，更常见的是 epidemic 或 plague。
Grammar Note
常用单数，但也可用复数形式 pestilences
Pronunciation & Spelling
pestilence 读作 /ˈpɛstɪləns/，重音在首音节；pest、pesticide、pester 都以 /pɛst/ 开头，但只有 pestilence 以 /ələns/ 结尾。pestle 拼写含 pest，但 t 不发音，读 /ˈpɛsəl/。silence /ˈsaɪləns/ 和 violence /ˈvaɪələns/ 虽然都含 -lence，但和 pestilence 不押韵，读音差别很大，不要因拼写相似而读错。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.