plague vs worry

plague

verb
  • To harass, pester or annoy someone persistently or incessantly. 

  • To afflict with a disease or other calamity. 

noun
  • A group of common grackles. 

  • A widespread affliction, calamity or destructive influx, especially when seen as divine retribution. 

  • The bubonic plague, the pestilent disease caused by the virulent bacterium Yersinia pestis. 

  • An epidemic or pandemic caused by any pestilence, but specifically by the above disease. 

  • A grave nuisance, whatever greatly irritates. 

worry

verb
  • To harass; to irritate or distress. 

  • To touch repeatedly, to fiddle with. 

  • To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt. 

  • To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf. 

  • Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress. 

noun
  • A strong feeling of anxiety. 

  • An instance or cause of such a feeling. 

  • A person who causes worry. 

How often have the words plague and worry occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )