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
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 5 Apr. 2026
In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years.
—Brett Kelman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
However, they are widely considered to be highly capable, especially for coalition warfare, despite some technical issues that have afflicted them in their first years of service.
—Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Our mission is to feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted and offer hope to those in need, including the LGBTQ community.
—Donna Lamb, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Moody’s injury is one of the most severe of a series that has afflicted the Warriors this season, who also saw Jimmy Butler go down with a season-ending ACL tear in January.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
The disease afflicted homosexuals, Haitians, haemophiliacs and heroin addicts.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
In New Zealand, Māori men are famously afflicted — by their eighties, nearly half may have (or have had) gout.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Cabbages are afflicted by cabbage webworms, cabbage white moths, cabbage loopers, and other worms.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 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
It is usually only afflicted by slugs, which can be easily managed, or crown rot due to overwatering.
—Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 5 Apr. 2026
In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years.
—Brett Kelman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
However, they are widely considered to be highly capable, especially for coalition warfare, despite some technical issues that have afflicted them in their first years of service.
—Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Our mission is to feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted and offer hope to those in need, including the LGBTQ community.
—Donna Lamb, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Moody’s injury is one of the most severe of a series that has afflicted the Warriors this season, who also saw Jimmy Butler go down with a season-ending ACL tear in January.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
The disease afflicted homosexuals, Haitians, haemophiliacs and heroin addicts.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
In New Zealand, Māori men are famously afflicted — by their eighties, nearly half may have (or have had) gout.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Cabbages are afflicted by cabbage webworms, cabbage white moths, cabbage loopers, and other worms.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
Adjective
-
One of Altman’s batch mates in the first Y Combinator cohort was Aaron Swartz, a brilliant but troubled coder who died by suicide in 2013 and is now remembered in many tech circles as something of a sage.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In March, the Dallas City Council did not make a final decision on what to do about the troubled City Hall building.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Whereas Phoebe lacks inhibitions, Valerie is plagued by them, and the contrasting sitcom formats of Friends (multi-cam) and The Comeback (mockumentary) call for totally different performance styles.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Lack of depth also plagued — a contrast from last year, when the four-line threat was huge.—
Greg Cote
April 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Eduiot site includes photographs and audiovisual material, and features the accounts of parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces of Jews persecuted and disappeared under the dictatorship.—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.—
James Stout,
Outside,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Shaw said the East Bay Paratransit program, which is responsible for assisting disabled residents within three-quarters of a mile from transit routes, receives 69% of its operational budget from AC Transit and 31% from BART.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Medicaid is the joint state and federal program that covers low-income and disabled adults.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two others who authorities say have tortured their children await their courtroom fates after being hit with dozens of abuse counts.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Schiller was tortured endlessly.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For Bravo, race has always been that lingering chink in its armor — and the latest burgeoning Summer House drama threatens to continue to chip away at the network’s feeble defense against claims of racial insensitivity.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
After that provocative setup, Dream Scenario unfortunately devolved into a feeble, simplistic cancel-culture satire.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.—
Joshua M. Davidson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicted. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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