afflicted 1 of 2

Definition of afflictednext

afflicted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of afflict

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of afflicted
Adjective
Some of the bikers pouring into the area are coming from distant states far more afflicted. CBS News, 10 Aug. 2020
Verb
Those afflicted would tremble and jerk around, lose the ability to stand or swallow, and, after many months of slow suffering, die. David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Repeat this process once the soil has dried again, until affected plants are no longer afflicted with pests. Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026 Blending horror with comedy, the Apple TV show takes place in a fictitious New England island town afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings about supernatural evils. Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026 In Seattle, by contrast, efforts to reduce public drug use force afflicted neighborhoods to pay a high price. Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Lotus seems to have ironed out the hesitancy that previously afflicted the dual-clutch ’box, particularly when parking. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026 Forty-nine of the afflicted have been hospitalized; of those, thirty-four have gone home. News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026 In the second half of the campaign, he was afflicted by bursitis. James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 July 2026 The afflicted slowly lose their ability to walk, talk, eat, dress, write, swallow and, eventually, breathe. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
Adjective
  • Unmasking ‘Criminal’ The FBI became aware of Spitze’s online crimes through his troubled home life and desire for fame, according to a DOJ sentencing memo to the court.
    Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Hayden Panettiere's troubled relationship with on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson had one final, unexpected chapter that is still unfolding.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But the car has been plagued with unreliability, most of it affecting George Russell and not Kimi Antonelli (who now, like Button in 2009, has a commanding lead over everyone else in the driver’s championship).
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Díaz, the club’s $69-million offseason prize, blew three save opportunities and was plagued by shaky outings after returning from elbow surgery.
    Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • And the concept, in his eyes, isn’t exclusive to the relationship between disabled people and their aides.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That said, some folks, like the local nurse (Amanda Davis), agree to come out to the encampment and treat the residents, many of whom are physically disabled, suffer from mental disorders or are war veterans probably still in the throes of PTSD.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Many Marranos persecuted by the Inquisition did secretly maintain a Jewish identity.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Since mutants are often feared and persecuted, Professor Charles Xavier, one of the most powerful telepaths in the comics canon, opens a School for Gifted Youngsters as a safe haven for young wayward mutants.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Instead of using a mirror to gather starlight, MOTHRA has many telephoto lenses, like those on a camera, which can capture faintly glowing wisps of gas and other feeble emanations across a wider field of view.
    Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
  • By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress, the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been overthrown.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Assad regime fell in 2024, but the bodies of Khalil’s two friends were never recovered; their families assumed that they had been tortured, killed, and buried in a mass grave.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • One of Nader’s grandsons, Shah Rukh, was tortured by a greedy court eunuch named Agha Muhammad to force him to reveal the location of the invaluable diamond.
    Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Earlier this month, Nancy Guthrie, the elderly and infirm mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was violently taken from her home in Tucson, Arizona.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The four Democratic members of the JBC, which controls the state budget, asked with growing consternation why the Department of Corrections hadn’t brought them a plan to address overcrowding, to step up releases of old and infirm inmates, or to improve its own shortcomings.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The second was navigating a WNBA game with a lineup besieged by injury.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • An American’s home is among those besieged by Israeli settlers.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicted. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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