plaguing

USAGE SUMMARY

"plaguing" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing a problem or issue that is causing distress, or even hindering progress. For example: "The low-level of quality control was plaguing the company's reputation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Beginning coverage of Poundland - one of the many problems plaguing Tesco at the moment - with outperform rating and 400p target price, Exane analyst John Kershaw said: Poundland is a price-disruptive UK retail roll-out story with best-in-class execution, consolidation potential and international optionality.

The Guardian - Business

Labour's Northern Ireland spokesman, Ivan Lewis, meanwhile warned that Christmas would be the season of "mistrust and political failure" if there was no consensus on issues plaguing the power-sharing government in Belfast.

The Guardian

But this isn't the only academic discipline failing to attract women: the same problem is also plaguing economics.

The Guardian

Only the highest-ranking members, the film explains, learn the story of the galactic overlord Xenu and the body-invading alien spirits plaguing the  planet a creation myth that shows the Church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, to be the writer of crass pulp fiction that he was.

The Economist

The array of social tensions plaguing the country, from landless peasants and disgruntled "Lugo-ites" and left-wing guerrillas, will worsen.

The Economist

The failure of the British system is not to be found in the statistics on prison overcrowding that have been plaguing John Reid, the home secretary, in recent weeks, but rather in the appalling rates of recidivism.

The Economist

Bayer had not made the drug available to Indians at a sufficiently low price.With these rulings, India has become the most extreme case of a problem plaguing Big Pharma from Berlin to Beijing: how to convince governments and consumers to pay for their drugs.

The Economist

More important is the impact of monetary and fiscal expansion.With the exceptions of South Korea and India, Asia has so far been spared the financial dislocations that are plaguing the West.

The Economist

You scrutinise Mr Sharon's motives, putting the onus for the stalled peace process on Israel without addressing the vacuum of Palestinian leadership plaguing the process.

The Economist

By emphasising this aspect of Smith's philosophy, Mr Wen is trying to show he cares.The government, however, does not want China to be roiled by the same debate that is plaguing Western governments over how to handle the crisis.

The Economist

About 250 of Mr Kony's fighters are plaguing one of the CAR's most remote corners, and the Ugandan, Central African and American troops deployed to the area haven't been able to stop them from terrorizing villages and kidnapping people.The "tongo tongo", as the local people call the LRA in the local Nzande language, arrived in the area in around 2008 or 2009 as the group was driven out of Uganda.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "plaguing" to describe persistent problems that cause significant distress or difficulty. It's effective in both formal and informal contexts when emphasizing the troublesome nature of an issue.

Common error

Avoid using "plaguing" for minor inconveniences. Reserve it for situations where the problem is truly significant and disruptive to maintain its impact.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "plaguing" is as a present participle, often used in continuous verb tenses or as an adjective describing a noun. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Encyclopedias

14%

Science

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "plaguing" is a versatile verb form used to describe persistent problems causing distress. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound and widely used. Its prevalence in news and encyclopedic sources indicates a neutral to formal register. While highly effective for emphasizing ongoing troubles, avoid overusing it in trivial situations. Semantically related alternatives include "troubling", "afflicting", and "bothering", each carrying slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

troubling

Focuses more on the worry or concern caused, rather than the active infliction of harm.

afflicting

Implies a more severe or widespread impact, often associated with diseases or major problems.

bothering

Suggests a milder form of annoyance or disturbance.

harassing

Conveys a sense of persistent and unwanted intrusion or annoyance.

vexing

Indicates something that causes irritation or frustration.

tormenting

Implies a more intense and prolonged suffering or distress.

haunting

Suggests a persistent and unsettling presence or memory.

besetting

Emphasizes the surrounding or encircling nature of the problem.

bedeviling

Implies a mischievous or evil influence causing problems.

dogging

Suggests a persistent following or pursuit, often in a negative way.

FAQs

How to use "plaguing" in a sentence?

Use "plaguing" to describe something that is causing continuous trouble or distress. For example, "Economic instability is "plaguing" the region".

What can I say instead of "plaguing"?

You can use alternatives like "troubling", "afflicting", or "bothering" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "plaguing" or "affecting"?

"Plaguing" suggests a more persistent and troublesome issue than "affecting". "Affecting" is a more general term for something having an impact.

What's the difference between "plaguing" and "haunting"?

"Plaguing" refers to an ongoing problem causing trouble, while "haunting" suggests a persistent, unsettling memory or presence. The former is more active, the latter more passive.