afflictive

adjective

ə-ˈflik-tiv How to pronounce afflictive (audio)
Definition of afflictivenext
as in painful
causing or feeling bodily pain the afflictive disease known as shingles is a reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflictive
  1. painful
  2. sore
  3. aching
Adjective
  • After the Great Depression, school districts revisited the idea during the energy crisis of the 1970s, following the 1973 Arab oil embargo and the painful years of stagflation that followed.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS HIDDEN ILLNESS — Country star reveals the painful symptom that led to cancer diagnosis.
    — , FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • The 43-year-old right-hander was making his second start of the year and first since March 30 in a season derailed by a sore hip and hamstring injury.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno won the NL batting title despite being scratched about an hour before first pitch with a sore hamstring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
  • Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of aching
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.

Browse Nearby Words

afflictions
afflictive
afflicts
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Cite this Entry

“Afflictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictive. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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