The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
the South was afflicted by a severe drought
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The risk and harms of AMD increase after age 65, but bright lights afflict younger people, too.—Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Aug. 2025 The gun violence epidemic continues to afflict our country and now has shattered lives in our great city.—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025 The alleged shooter, 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura, reportedly carried a three-page note with him that referred to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease that has afflicted athletes, and referenced a former NFL player, Terry Long, who died by suicide in 2005.—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 29 July 2025 The changes ahead are likely to be deep and painful, particularly amid a deep recession afflicting the entertainment business in Hollywood, in whose literal physical neighborhood the Paramount lot sits.—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for afflict
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
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