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

The images have become the site of a self-conscious meta-comedy about the consuming urge to post that afflicts a portion of the population. —Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025

The rationale for giving the vaccine right away is to wipe out an infection that will afflict the majority of people who contract it as babies for the rest of their life (and, for as many as a quarter of those chronically infected, result in their death from cirrhosis or liver cancer). —Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2025

No matter how much Nino may try to detach their devotion for one another from the problems afflicting Lebanon, the turmoil seeps into their home, proving that even the most personal choices are inevitably tied to larger forces. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025

But each was, in his own way, hopelessly afflicted by idealism. —Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025

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