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
Love contains the seeds of its own destruction—the cruelty and self-absorption that turns the afflicted against one another, and themselves. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 While the epicenter was located in Nantou County in central Taiwan, serious damage afflicted residents across the island as roads buckled, bridges collapsed and landslides destroyed everything in their path. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026 Here’s my Sunday postgame piece on a miserable condition that has afflicted Dolphins fans for years, and our plea to Jon-Eric Sullivan to fix it. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026 The afflicted can feel very strongly about them, strongly believe them, even though there is no convincing reason for holding that thought. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 However, the network was afflicted with major issues in its first year, including executive turnover and poor ratings. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026 The global food system is afflicted by uncertainty across many domains—weather, supply chains, labor, trade, and beyond. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026 Over 600,000 women a year in America are afflicted with postpartum depression in America, research shows. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 Weiss has since learned he and his uncles weren’t uniquely afflicted. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
Adjective
  • Ramaswamy, who is challenging Democrat Amy Acton for the governor’s seat, has come under attack from some critics for airing a campaign ad this week featuring Acton’s estranged mother slamming her daughter as a troubled liar.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Betancourt’s legal problems stemmed from his role in troubled Venezuelan energy projects during the corrupt rule of former President Hugo Chávez.
    — Cate Brown, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But he was plagued by guilt over his ancestor’s role in the trials, and felt compelled to explore themes of human character, greed, and social decay through his work.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Joan realizes that her mother’s vanishing meshes with a larger tapestry of tragedy that has plagued their family over the years.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The vehicle caught on fire in front of a local orphanage for disabled children.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Singletary has used her own life experiences including raising her kids, helping take care of her disabled brother and planning her estate to help her readers navigate their financial journeys.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In 1937, Foyles started the Right Book Club, a rather feeble counterweight to Victor Gollancz’s Left Book Club.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The probe’s landing gear is designed to absorb the energy of each landing to mitigate the risk of tipping over or bouncing back into space, a real concern with the feeble and uneven gravity field on Phobos.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • His underlings kidnapped and tortured a dealer who refused to pay, the indictment said.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The organization advocating on his behalf said Gilman had been tortured in Russian detention.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Outside stands a statue of an infirm John Paul II leaning on his papal staff — a reminder of the pontiffs who have been treated here, and of their earthly frailty.
    — Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But according to Galloway, shortly before his death in 1989, a friend came upon an infirm Olivier watching one of Leigh’s films.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Mehra – director of 2016 pic Baar Baar Dekho and creator of Prime Video series Big Girls Don’t Cry – says that while Indian audiences are besieged by films and TV content right now, where Hunkkaar has cut through is in its subject matter.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Its largest medical center, Al-Shifa Hospital, was besieged, bombed, and raided, under false pretexts, resulting in hundreds of deaths inside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicted. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster