AFFLICTIVE Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

afflictive

adjective

ə-ˈflik-tiv

Definition of afflictive

as in painful

causing or feeling bodily pain the afflictive disease known as shingles is a reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflictive

Adjective

For the film, Hossain said that Badhon called in her real doctor to inject her during a scene where her character undergoes painful platelet-rich plasma injections.

— Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
And meager pay raises have made rising prices more painful for many.

— Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

Sophomore Duke Clark impressed with 65 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while explosive Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor, sidelined by a sore hip, should eventually be a factor.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
The two-month conflict, which killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service members and three islanders, remains a sore point in Argentina more than four decades later.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 4 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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“Afflictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictive. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of afflictive

adjective

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