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

Given the housing shortage that’s afflicted the whole country, the state, in 2024, revised the Postcard Law to allow for more construction, at least in certain areas. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026

Wildfires afflict central and southern Chile every summer, typically reaching a peak in February as temperatures surge and the country continues to reel from a years-long drought. —Javier Torres, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026

Eddie Vedder and his wife Jill founded the EB Research Partnership (EBRP) in 2010, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research to treat and cure the life-threatening disease, one that afflicted the child of Jill’s childhood friend. —Peter White, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2026

Support for Bass is more mixed, with her current record containing many more failures than have afflicted either Lurie or any other recent Los Angeles mayor. —Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 16 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