affliction

noun

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af·flic·tion | \ ə-ˈflik-shən

Definition of affliction

1 : a cause of persistent pain or distress a mysterious affliction

2 : great suffering felt empathy with their affliction

3 : the state of being afflicted by something that causes suffering her affliction with polio

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About affliction

Examples of affliction in a Sentence

She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction. He died from a mysterious affliction.

Recent Examples on the Web Insomnia is a common affliction in the outdoors, and Outside’s editors are hardly immune. — The Editors, Outside Online, 9 May 2022 With the studied patience of a professional wise man, Mr. Friedmann listens to their laments and assures them, by way of consolation, that their problems are a nearly universal affliction. — New York Times, 20 Apr. 2022 Besides the unequal assignment of factory tasks, verbal harassment was a daily affliction, Chatman said. — Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022 But the zoo has also closed its aviaries to foot traffic, partly due to concerns that visitors could contribute to the affliction’s spread. — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2022 The affliction continues to confound the medical establishment. — Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, 13 Feb. 2022 As the affliction spread, Italians called it the French Disease. — Talia Herman, ProPublica, 1 Nov. 2021 While a violent affliction spreads among guards and residents of a Japanese internment camp in Idaho, Meiko can’t help noticing that, though doctors arrive, nothing improves. — Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2022 One last affliction that our work and play with computers can cause is computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain. — Simon Hill, Wired, 2 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'affliction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.