The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
the South was afflicted by a severe drought
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But in the midst of profound uncertainty and genuine pain and dislocation afflicting many, to convey confidence in addressing a highly volatile and fundamentally uncertain future would be inauthentic, and likely to be seen as such.—Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 Alhurra is subject to the same forces afflicting all TV networks, with audiences increasingly finding their news on TikTok and YouTube.—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025 Militant violence has afflicted Kashmir, claimed in full but ruled in part by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan, since the anti-Indian insurgency began in 1989.—Fayaz Bukhari, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025 Many of the diseases that afflict shrubs, including roses, are caused by fungi that thrive in moist environments.—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 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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