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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
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Recent Examples of affliction
Kinga suffers from a peculiar affliction: there are seven of her.
—
Book Marks
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Some of us have both of these afflictions, particularly beyond the age of 40-to-50.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 19 Aug. 2025
While untreated mental afflictions can now be addressed under state law, the same should be extended to folks suffering from addiction.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
For this reason, middle age is often a time of crisis in the life of a perfectionist, though the affliction manifests at all ages.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Book Marks
august 21, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
Some of us have both of these afflictions, particularly beyond the age of 40-to-50.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 19 Aug. 2025
While untreated mental afflictions can now be addressed under state law, the same should be extended to folks suffering from addiction.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
For this reason, middle age is often a time of crisis in the life of a perfectionist, though the affliction manifests at all ages.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
Noun
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Certain symptoms that signaled addictive food behavior were also more common among women, like inability to decrease intake, greater cravings and distress about their consumption.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Roughly half of all low-income countries are in or near debt distress, which can significantly exacerbate food insecurity.—
ARIF HUSAIN,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And that's appropriate; coziness and sorrow are not mutually exclusive.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Teams and players in the sport expressed sorrow about the news.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With the launch of the Culling Game in the aftermath, 10 colonies from across Japan are transformed into dens of curses as part of a plot orchestrated by the most wicked sorcerer in history, Noritoshi Kamo.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
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Her goal helped the club secure its first berth in the NWSL playoffs, snapping a ninth-place curse that had haunted the team since its debut in 2021.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Rather than rob the story of its teeth, this enabled me to explore the pain, loneliness and personal demons of my characters with sympathy rather than stinging bite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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When their biggest demonic enemy (Lee Byung-hun) encourages the formation of an equally popular K-pop boy band aimed at stealing the souls of their fans, the trio has to fight harder than ever to hold the demons at bay while keeping their friendship intact.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Braxton went down late in the first quarter with an apparent knee injury that kept him on the sideline for nearly a quarter.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Thus far, Arsenal’s excellent form has relegated the injuries to a subplot.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Following months of agony and fundraising, Abeba was eventually able to send enough money to pay for her brother Daniel’s release.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Near those boundaries, microscopic changes in pace or line flip the result, explaining why near-identical putts can alternate between agony and ecstasy.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
No adolescent defiance or child’s anguish was visible on his face now.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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Some critics called for more editorial discipline in the film, or found Lawrence’s onscreen spin cycle of anguish, which involves literally clawing her way up walls or flinging herself through glass doors, to be repetitive.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Still, Vegas had been a nemesis that had beaten Denver eight games in a row before the Broncos flipped that and swept in 2024.—
Greg Cote
November 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
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In the same vein, denim tends to be the nemesis of carry-on-only travelers.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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