afflict

verb

af·​flict ə-ˈflikt 

afflicted; afflicting; afflicts

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause pain or suffering to : to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish

people afflicted with arthritis

a region afflicted by hunger and poverty

b

: trouble, injure

2

obsolete

a

: humble

b

: overthrow

Synonyms of afflict

• plague
• persecute

Choose the Right Synonym for afflict

afflict, try, torment, torture, rack mean to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear.

afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

Examples of afflict in a Sentence

The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.

the South was afflicted by a severe drought

Recent Examples on the Web

Thus, taxpayers are often stuck financing underperforming government programs riddled with waste and outright fraud, as was the case in the recent $30 billion scandal that afflicted the state’s unemployment insurance program. —Lanhee J. Chen, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026

But the overlap with unusually frigid temperatures afflicting Florida's Space Coast and the rest of the country have turned Crew-12's launch opportunities into an intricate dance around Artemis 2. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026

The dilemma facing fans on Sunday is not the sort which should afflict a club of Spurs’ stature and resources, especially not twice in the space of three seasons, and is a direct consequence of their consistent underperformance in the Premier League. —Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026

Inspect your trees regularly for signs of disease, such as the fungal problems that afflict some trees. —David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afflihten "to excite, become distressed," probably verbal derivative of affliht, aflyght "disturbed, upset," borrowed from Latin afflīctus, past participle of afflīgere "to knock or strike down, ruin, distress severely," from ad- ad- + flīgere "to strike down" — more at profligate entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for afflict

• addict
• constrict
• delict
• depict
• evict
• handpicked
• inflict
• predict
• relict
• restrict
• bricked
• clicked

Kids Definition

afflict

verb

af·​flict ə-ˈflikt 

: to cause suffering or unhappiness to