an increasing scourge

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an increasing scourge" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a problem or issue that is becoming more severe or widespread over time. Example: "The rise in cyberbullying has become an increasing scourge in our society, affecting the mental health of many young people."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Turtles of course eat jellyfish, an increasing scourge of the seas.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Blood doping - an illegal means of increasing an athlete's red blood cell count to gain a physical edge - has been a scourge in many sports, but a similar process occurs naturally during pregnancy.

BBC

They are not increasing because of a scourge which has merely come out of the blue, but rather because the policies being implemented over recent years in the fields of structural adjustment and of reducing public spending have led to increasing inequalities and poverty and to increased deterioration of the environment and of the planet as a whole.

EU Parlament

The results included soil erosion, landslides, stagnant water in valley bottoms, and increased malaria the greatest scourge of rural Italy, which in turn prevented much fertile low-lying land from being cultivated.

Encyclopedia Britannica

No longer defined by vector distribution alone but now linked to distribution of HIV, malaria cases and deaths have increased (8 ), turning an old scourge and a new one into unlikely partners.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Given that enabling PGP encryption is as easy as ticking a few boxes in both Mac OS X and Windows, it's no surprise that the authorities are now increasing their efforts to combat the scourge of people wanting to keep their private data private.

TechCrunch

Police officials in New York City, who spent years battling a crack scourge that sent the murder rate soaring, say they are now seeing increasing violence among dealers of marijuana, a drug that they say no longer fits its laid-back image.

The New York Times

And violence has been increasing in the peaceful country, a trend often blamed on pasta base, a crack-like drug that is a scourge in much of South America.

The New York Times

Increasing financing for cancer research has to be a national priority to at long last arrest this scourge.

The New York Times

Meanwhile, the number of Brazilian states declared free of foot-and-mouth disease has increased; the mad-cow scourge, which put some consumers off British and American steaks, has been avoided.

The Economist

Tuberculosis, an ancient scourge once thought to have been brought under control, is today a re-emerging disease, fuelled by the rising tide of co-infection with HIV (especially in Africa) and by increasing resistance to TB medicines.

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "an increasing scourge", ensure that the context clearly establishes what is becoming more prevalent and harmful. Provide specific examples to illustrate the severity of the situation.

Common error

Avoid using "an increasing scourge" as a generic descriptor. Always identify the specific problem or phenomenon that is becoming more widespread to maintain clarity and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an increasing scourge" functions as a noun phrase that acts as a subject complement or object in a sentence. It describes something harmful that is growing in prevalence, as confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an increasing scourge" is a phrase used to describe a problem or issue that is becoming more prevalent and harmful. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and suitability for formal contexts. While not frequently used, it effectively conveys the growing severity of a situation. Remember to use it with specificity and provide context to maximize its impact. Consider alternatives like "a growing menace" or "a worsening affliction" for variety. The phrase is found most often in News & Media, Science and Formal & Business contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a growing menace

Replaces "scourge" with "menace", indicating a threat or danger.

a worsening affliction

Substitutes "scourge" with "affliction", focusing on suffering or distress.

a rising plague

Replaces "scourge" with "plague", emphasizing a widespread and devastating problem.

an escalating crisis

Shifts the focus to a situation that is rapidly intensifying.

a mounting problem

Uses "mounting" to describe a problem that is growing in size or intensity.

a burgeoning threat

Replaces "increasing" with "burgeoning" and "scourge" with "threat", indicating a rapidly developing danger.

a spreading blight

Focuses on the idea of something detrimental that is expanding its reach.

an expanding problem

More directly states the problem is growing in scope or extent.

a proliferating issue

Emphasizes the rapid increase and spread of a particular issue.

a snowballing difficulty

Illustrates how a difficulty is growing rapidly like a snowball.

FAQs

How can I use "an increasing scourge" in a sentence?

You can use "an increasing scourge" to describe a problem or issue that is becoming more prevalent and harmful, for example: "Cyberbullying has become "an increasing scourge" in schools."

What are some alternatives to "an increasing scourge"?

Some alternatives to "an increasing scourge" include "a growing menace", "a worsening affliction", or "a rising plague", depending on the specific context.

Is "an increasing scourge" a formal or informal phrase?

"An increasing scourge" is generally considered a neutral to slightly formal phrase, suitable for use in news articles, academic papers, and professional reports.

What makes something "an increasing scourge" rather than just a "scourge"?

The addition of "increasing" emphasizes that the problem is not only harmful but is also growing in prevalence or intensity over time.