epidemic disease - any infectious disease that develops and spreads rapidly to many people

bubonic plague - the most common form of the plague; characterized by delirium and the formation of buboes; does not spred from person to person

pneumonic plague - plague that can spread through the air from person to person; characterized by lung involvement

septicemic plague - an especially dangerous form in which infecting organisms invade the bloodstream; does not spread from person to person

epidemic disease - any infectious disease that develops and spreads rapidly to many people

swarm, cloud - a group of many insects; "a swarm of insects obscured the light"; "a cloud of butterflies"

calamity, catastrophe, tragedy, disaster, cataclysm - an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"

pain in the ass, pain in the neck, bother, botheration, infliction, annoyance, pain - something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness; "washing dishes was a nuisance before we got a dish washer"; "a bit of a bother"; "he's not a friend, he's an infliction"

colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

afflict, smite - cause pain or suffering in; "afflict with the plague"; "That debasement of the verbal currency that afflicts terms used in advertisement"

needle, goad - goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "He needled her with his sarcastic remarks"

annoy, devil, gravel, irritate, nark, rile, vex, nettle, rag, bother, chafe, get at, get to - cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves"

bedevil, dun, rag, torment, frustrate, crucify - treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher"

haze - harass by imposing humiliating or painful tasks, as in military institutions