afflicted

adjective

af·​flict·​ed ə-ˈflik-təd How to pronounce afflicted (audio)
: grievously affected or troubled (as by a disease) : mentally or physically impaired
… a pet spaniel, so thin as to appear afflictedOsbert Sitwell
Paul fell sick and must keep his bed; drink was the root of his malady, in my poor thought; but he was tended, and indeed carried himself, like an afflicted saint.Robert Louis Stevenson
providing comfort to the afflicted [=people who are ill, suffering, etc.]

Examples of afflicted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The afflicted man instead went to a Dawson hospital, where he was fed only raw potatoes and charged $10 a day for the privilege. David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 12 June 2022 For nearly five years, the lingering hope of the pundit class (and, notably, the Biden campaign) was that the Trump fever would eventually burn itself out and those so afflicted would awake from its throes eager to be normal again. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Jan. 2022 Regarding Cuba now, there seems to be an additional Russian objective: weakening U.S. and Canadian intelligence on the island by forcing the evacuation of afflicted spies and diplomatic personnel. Néstor T. Carbonell, National Review, 12 Apr. 2021 Some of the bikers pouring into the area are coming from distant states far more afflicted. CBS News, 10 Aug. 2020 Kroger officials said McMullen had planned to remove his mask for the event, which was not attended by Pence's afflicted press secretary Katie Miller who stayed in Washington. Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, 11 May 2020 Symptoms of the illness are similar to pneumonia, although videos have been posted that purportedly show afflicted people collapsing on the street, bleeding from their mouths, and being treated by doctors wearing hazmat suits. Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, 25 Jan. 2020 Mealy bugs can be a real problem, not just for the afflicted plant but for neighboring, healthy houseplants. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2019 Making a compelling financial case to fight climate change and to help the most afflicted demands a rigorous accounting of its effects. Umair Irfan, Vox, 9 Oct. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afflicted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of afflict

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of afflicted was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near afflicted

Cite this Entry

“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afflicted. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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