as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
the South was afflicted by a severe drought he's been afflicted by nightmares ever since the accident
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as in troubled
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Recent Examples of afflicted
David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 12 June 2022
For nearly five years, the lingering hope of the pundit class (and, notably, the Biden campaign) was that the Trump fever would eventually burn itself out and those so afflicted would awake from its throes eager to be normal again.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Jan. 2022
Regarding Cuba now, there seems to be an additional Russian objective: weakening U.S. and Canadian intelligence on the island by forcing the evacuation of afflicted spies and diplomatic personnel.
—Néstor T. Carbonell, National Review, 12 Apr. 2021
Some of the bikers pouring into the area are coming from distant states far more afflicted.
—CBS News, 10 Aug. 2020
Kroger officials said McMullen had planned to remove his mask for the event, which was not attended by Pence's afflicted press secretary Katie Miller who stayed in Washington.
—Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, 11 May 2020
Symptoms of the illness are similar to pneumonia, although videos have been posted that purportedly show afflicted people collapsing on the street, bleeding from their mouths, and being treated by doctors wearing hazmat suits.
—Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, 25 Jan. 2020
Mealy bugs can be a real problem, not just for the afflicted plant but for neighboring, healthy houseplants.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2019
Making a compelling financial case to fight climate change and to help the most afflicted demands a rigorous accounting of its effects.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 9 Oct. 2018
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
Unfortunately, this fresh ailment has afflicted him for the majority of his 2024-25 run.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
The 73-year-old woman’s husband, who is afflicted with dementia and uses a wheelchair, was not able to help, and Echelbarger succumbed to her injuries.
—Laura Barcella, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Most of the United States’ Northeastern states would be among the more afflicted, as would be the Great Lakes region.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
In a state and city so afflicted by the culture of corruption, as the Tribune reported exhaustively last year in a series of pieces tracing our sordid history, federal prosecutors have played an indispensable role in unearthing these stories and making our politicians pay for abusing their offices.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
For several reasons, women tend to be most afflicted.
—Stacey Colino, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
In pulling off the balance between the morbid premise and the humanity of the character afflicted by it, director Rashida Jones relies on Erivo’s ability to get across the panic and dread of the situation with the subtlest of brush strokes.
—Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This, in turn, led to waves of protest and a series of arsons that afflicted 24 churches over the next two years.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
The afflicted man instead went to a Dawson hospital, where he was fed only raw potatoes and charged $10 a day for the privilege.
—David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 12 June 2022
For nearly five years, the lingering hope of the pundit class (and, notably, the Biden campaign) was that the Trump fever would eventually burn itself out and those so afflicted would awake from its throes eager to be normal again.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Jan. 2022
Regarding Cuba now, there seems to be an additional Russian objective: weakening U.S. and Canadian intelligence on the island by forcing the evacuation of afflicted spies and diplomatic personnel.
—Néstor T. Carbonell, National Review, 12 Apr. 2021
Some of the bikers pouring into the area are coming from distant states far more afflicted.
—CBS News, 10 Aug. 2020
Kroger officials said McMullen had planned to remove his mask for the event, which was not attended by Pence's afflicted press secretary Katie Miller who stayed in Washington.
—Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, 11 May 2020
Symptoms of the illness are similar to pneumonia, although videos have been posted that purportedly show afflicted people collapsing on the street, bleeding from their mouths, and being treated by doctors wearing hazmat suits.
—Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, 25 Jan. 2020
Mealy bugs can be a real problem, not just for the afflicted plant but for neighboring, healthy houseplants.
—Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2019
Making a compelling financial case to fight climate change and to help the most afflicted demands a rigorous accounting of its effects.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 9 Oct. 2018
Adjective
Ringo was yellow submarines and octopus gardens, the mascot little brother, despite being the eldest Beatle, and the best at flittering above the feuds that afflicted the trio of geniuses around him.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
Unfortunately, this fresh ailment has afflicted him for the majority of his 2024-25 run.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
The 73-year-old woman’s husband, who is afflicted with dementia and uses a wheelchair, was not able to help, and Echelbarger succumbed to her injuries.
—Laura Barcella, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Most of the United States’ Northeastern states would be among the more afflicted, as would be the Great Lakes region.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
In a state and city so afflicted by the culture of corruption, as the Tribune reported exhaustively last year in a series of pieces tracing our sordid history, federal prosecutors have played an indispensable role in unearthing these stories and making our politicians pay for abusing their offices.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
For several reasons, women tend to be most afflicted.
—Stacey Colino, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
In pulling off the balance between the morbid premise and the humanity of the character afflicted by it, director Rashida Jones relies on Erivo’s ability to get across the panic and dread of the situation with the subtlest of brush strokes.
—Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This, in turn, led to waves of protest and a series of arsons that afflicted 24 churches over the next two years.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
Adjective
-
Son of Liam’s Map was a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby and a closing second in the Matt Winn Stakes in his last start.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Bell is among at least 34 boys who stayed at Dozier and another 16 sent to Okeechobee — a separate boys’ school with a troubled history — who ended up on Florida’s death row, according to a review by The Marshall Project.—
The Marshall Project,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Screenshots from a July 23 TikTok video of a disabled cat managing to get onto his owner's bed without any assistance.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
Social Security provides monthly benefit checks to more than 70 million Americans, including retirees, disabled individuals and families.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
In recent months, the Kennedy Center has been besieged by performance cancelations both voluntary and involuntary.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
-
At the start of the invasion, Russian troops besieged the city, forcing residents to endure harsh winter conditions without electricity or water under constant shelling from Russian artillery, missiles and drones.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Joe Biden’s disastrous June 2024 debate performance, when the nation witnessed a hoarse and feeble president losing his train of thought and struggling to finish sentences, ended his re-election campaign.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
-
Their feeble efforts fall flat, because the physical historical record dictates otherwise.—
Daily Southtown,
Chicago Tribune,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
The public and police are encouraged to check on the elderly and infirm.—
Cory Franklin,
Chicago Tribune,
13 July 2025
-
No longer the beloved Renaissance prince of his youth, Henry was, by his mid-40s, an increasingly infirm and mercurial monarch who had few qualms about sending his closest companions—among them the aforementioned Thomas More—to the executioner’s block.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
If plants are diseased or contaminated with pests, dispose of them in the trash, not your compost bin. Slugs and snails are excellent hiders and especially difficult to manage in vegetable gardens.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
-
Look for wilting, drooping, discolored, or diseased leaves regularly to keep up the plant’s appearance.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
With Ted gone, an incapacitated Joe is appointed as mayor.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
18 July 2025
-
For mentally incapacitated adult patients, their partners can take part in the decisions as guardians.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Consider his painting Inheritance (1897-99), which depicts a coughing mother holding a sickly newborn.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 July 2025
-
Jessica leaves her apartment and tells him to get his stuff out by the end of the day, during which her sickly dog dies.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicted. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
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