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lacra

scourge

noun LAH-krah Rare

Also means

blight

Usage Note

Lacra carries strong negative moral weight — it refers to a deep-seated social evil or stigma, such as la lacra de la corrupción ('the scourge of corruption'). It is not used for minor problems; it implies something that scars society. In some Latin American varieties it can also mean a physical scar or a person regarded as morally corrupt.

Examples

"La pobreza es una lacra que debemos combatir."

Natural Translation

Poverty is a scourge we must fight.

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