scourge

Noun

• a person who inspires fear or dread
  • he was the terror of the neighborhood
    

• something causing misery or death
  • the bane of my life
    

• a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)

Verb

• cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
  • The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion
    

• whip
  • The religious fanatics flagellated themselves
    

• punish severely; excoriate

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  terror , threat , bane , curse , nemesis , flagellum , lay waste to , waste , devastate , desolate , ravage , flagellate