affliction

noun

ə-ˈflik-shən How to pronounce affliction (audio)
Definition of afflictionnext
1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind she listened with deep affliction as her daughter told her about the latest trouble she was in

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2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved felt such great affliction over the destruction of the beautiful old home

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3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune alcohol has been his affliction ever since he took his first drink at the age of 12

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4
as in demon
a source of persistent emotional distress suffered from afflictions that only a professional therapist could deal with

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5
as in injury
something that causes loss or pain cronyism and corruption are afflictions on the body politic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affliction From ancient Rome to early modern England, it was recommended for treating a wild spectrum of afflictions—from simple sores to the bubonic plague. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 Broadfield also suffers from a location that sits on the fringes of the town, a regular affliction of grounds built in the last 30 years that can leave a club feeling slightly apart from their community. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 And yet, besieged by the same afflictions of greed, self-interest and a comical inability to work together, horse racing is doing its damndest to similarly mess up its very good thing. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026 Whether the next crop of Republican candidates follows the clickbait commentators will tell us if this inversion is a Democratic or American affliction. — Aaron Kaplowitz, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
  1. distress
  2. sorrow
  3. curse
  4. demon
  5. injury
  6. agony
  7. anguish
  8. nemesis
Noun
  • The rise of self-harm influencers—people for whom demonstrating their distress online has become a source of income and validation—is a terrifying new development.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
  • CoreWeave, the leader of the pack, has seen spreads on its CDS widen past 11%, generally viewed as a distress level, as investors have to pay up for protection against default.
    — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • But genuinely funny moments are rare, badly outnumbered by done-to-death musings regarding the mysteries of being alive and torturous melodramatic moments in which Klara dully absorbs the severity of Josie’s illness and Chrissy’s sorrow.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Crystal’s deep and profound sorrow at the loss of his director and friend Rob Reiner, not to mention Robin WIlliams, are very much present in the show.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • For their version, which follows a young teen boy (Bean Reid’s Sam) who works to find his missing brother in a town haunted by an evil crop curse, the answer was pumpkin guts.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The money, which added up to many millions in today’s dollars, was a blessing and a curse.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Rest assured, the only demons in Phony appear to be figurative.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • One American season later, the race demons raged and all of those commitments are dropped.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • Not only were LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges absent after high-profile summertime trades, but returnees Kon Knueppel and Coby White were also missing because of injury.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to a person in his car dying from injuries sustained in the crash, another passenger was severely hurt, the release said.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of injury
Noun
  • The minutes had passed so quickly for the rest of the world, but for the families waiting to learn whether their children were alive, the abrupt end of the gunfire wasn’t the end of their agony.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • In a masterful unbroken shot, Klaus is on the phone from France with his sister, expressing his bottomless anguish.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Polly, by contrast, reads the manuscript and is immediately filled with anguish and all-consuming fury.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • After a big road win against longtime nemesis Oregon, video posted online showed Chesney delivering a fiery speech to his team in the tunnel before facing the Ducks.
    — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But Bond’s most enduring nemesis has nothing to do with Blofeld’s white cat.
    — Luka Ladan, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of nemesis

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Cite this Entry

“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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