How Do You Spell PLAGUELIKE?

Pronunciation: [plˈe͡ɪɡla͡ɪk] (IPA)

Plaguelike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles or relates to a plague. The word consists of two syllables: plague and like. The pronunciation of plague is [pleɪɡ], where "pl" is pronounced like "ple", and "a" is short. The word "like" is pronounced as [laɪk]. When combined, the "g" sound in "plague" is softened to "j" sound, resulting in the phonetic transcription [pleɪdʒlaɪk]. The spelling of plaguelike reflects the pronunciation of its two root words.

PLAGUELIKE Meaning and Definition

  1. Plaguelike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles or is reminiscent of a plague. The term combines the word "plague," which refers to an infectious, often deadly, epidemic disease, and the suffix "-like," which indicates similarity or resemblance to a specified person or thing.

    When applied to a situation or event, "plaguelike" suggests an overwhelming or widespread affliction that is characterized by severe consequences or harm. It implies a magnitude of suffering and distress akin to that experienced during an epidemic or pandemic. For example, one might describe a particularly devastating natural disaster as plaguelike due to the widespread destruction and loss of life it has caused.

    Similarly, "plaguelike" can describe a behavior or characteristic that spreads rapidly and negatively affects a large group of people or a particular system. This could be seen in contexts such as a network of corruption that permeates throughout an organization, causing significant harm and disruption to its operations, or a harmful ideology that gains traction and poisons societal discourse.

    Overall, "plaguelike" describes something that possesses the destructive and pervasive qualities reminiscent of a plague, whether it be in reference to a disease, event, behavior, or characteristic.

Common Misspellings for PLAGUELIKE

Etymology of PLAGUELIKE

The word "plaguelike" is a compound word formed by combining the word "plague" with the suffix "-like".

The word "plague" originated in the late 14th century, borrowed from Old French "plague" or "plage" meaning "wound, sore" which went back to Latin "plaga" meaning "stroke, wound". Over time, its meaning evolved to refer specifically to a contagious epidemic disease that spreads rapidly and causes high mortality rates.

The suffix "-like" is derived from Old English "-lice", which developed from the Proto-Germanic "-liko" meaning "body, shape, form", ultimately stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root "*līk-" meaning "appearance". The suffix "-like" is used to form adjectives that mean "having the qualities or characteristics of" or "resembling" the word they are combined with.

Similar spelling word for PLAGUELIKE

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