as in troubled
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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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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
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Thus, taxpayers are often stuck financing underperforming government programs riddled with waste and outright fraud, as was the case in the recent $30 billion scandal that afflicted the state’s unemployment insurance program.
—Lanhee J. Chen, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The polio she was afflicted with as a child leaving her with a limp.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
At least 50 people had been reported dead in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Officials in states afflicted with severe cold reported at least 50 deaths.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
At least 30 deaths have been reported in states afflicted with severe cold, including two people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body was found covered in snow in Kansas.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2004, Fox and Ford were photographed shaking hands at a charity event where Nancy Reagan advocated for stem cell research in finding a cure for illnesses like Alzheimer’s, which afflicted her husband, Ronald.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Adjective
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
Verb
Embarrassment could have been a factor in the rash decision, but Trump is not a man who appears to be afflicted by that particular emotion, which takes its cue from a certain amount of self-awareness and humility.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Thus, taxpayers are often stuck financing underperforming government programs riddled with waste and outright fraud, as was the case in the recent $30 billion scandal that afflicted the state’s unemployment insurance program.
—Lanhee J. Chen, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The polio she was afflicted with as a child leaving her with a limp.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
At least 50 people had been reported dead in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Officials in states afflicted with severe cold reported at least 50 deaths.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
At least 30 deaths have been reported in states afflicted with severe cold, including two people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body was found covered in snow in Kansas.
—Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2004, Fox and Ford were photographed shaking hands at a charity event where Nancy Reagan advocated for stem cell research in finding a cure for illnesses like Alzheimer’s, which afflicted her husband, Ronald.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
Adjective
-
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has launched an investigation into Concierge Apartments, a troubled Rocky Hill complex where 200 units were condemned Friday by town officials.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Nanjiani got serious about the importance of directors making movies in a troubled world before dropping one more zinger.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Staffing shortages have plagued the grocery industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Exploding power lines evoked the electrical outages that have plagued Puerto Rico in recent years.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has promised to help rescue the country’s persecuted protesters as thousands died.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Feb. 2026
-
During vetting by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, refugees are required to show they were persecuted or face persecution in their home countries and, once in the US, must apply for green cards a year after admission.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Users who register as younger than 13 will automatically get a Cabined Account that requires parental consent via email and voice/text chat, spending money and custom display names are disabled unless a parent provides consent.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
4 Feb. 2026
-
These individuals are often left destitute, disabled, and in chronic pain from medically unnecessary procedures.—
Elizabeth Heck,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Now it’s finally tortured artist Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) turn.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
-
All of this makes the job of being an informed citizen just tortured.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Lydia Romero strained to hear her husband’s feeble voice through the phone.—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
That said, international filmmaking is in feeble shape, partly because of the jambalaya of international co-productions, partly because of the inroads of television aesthetics, and partly because of the cloistered aestheticism of self-conscious art-house cinema.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Adams administration was besieged with corruption at every level—the Blackness of the perpetrators was of no solace.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Don Lemon also enjoyed a standing ovation and was besieged by people all night to express their gratitude and support after he was arrested and charged for an anti-ICE protest just two days before.—
Rob LeDonne,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Frank learns that the prison is a waystation for the elderly and infirm before they are transferred into hospice care, which puts a looming expiration date on his time with Louis.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 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
Cite this Entry
“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicted. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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