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
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
The regular crowd shots of the waiting room too often reduce the afflicted into a zombie-like horde bent on making life more difficult for our beloved medical staff.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Instead, each statement is afflicted by a delinquent modifier.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Those who aren’t afflicted by the syndrome might think dark thoughts, but they are kept buttoned up.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Costco's popular rotisserie chicken is at the center of another lawsuit, this one claiming that a chicken processing plant in Nebraska is afflicted by salmonella contamination, possibly affecting hundreds of millions of the birds sold through the warehouses.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
Last year the Make-A-Wish Foundation flew Luke, who was afflicted with a rare life-threatening blood disorder in high school, to Denver to meet his hero.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
Done right, a public option would lower prices while stabilizing access in areas afflicted by disparities.
—Jesse Jackson Jr, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 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
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
The regular crowd shots of the waiting room too often reduce the afflicted into a zombie-like horde bent on making life more difficult for our beloved medical staff.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Instead, each statement is afflicted by a delinquent modifier.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Those who aren’t afflicted by the syndrome might think dark thoughts, but they are kept buttoned up.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Costco's popular rotisserie chicken is at the center of another lawsuit, this one claiming that a chicken processing plant in Nebraska is afflicted by salmonella contamination, possibly affecting hundreds of millions of the birds sold through the warehouses.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
Last year the Make-A-Wish Foundation flew Luke, who was afflicted with a rare life-threatening blood disorder in high school, to Denver to meet his hero.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
Done right, a public option would lower prices while stabilizing access in areas afflicted by disparities.
—Jesse Jackson Jr, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
Adjective
-
The Van Gogh attribution, for instance, was subsequently matched by more conventional research, including technical analyses and studies of the artist’s letters (museum experts concluded that the portrait’s unusually dampened colors simply reflected Van Gogh’s troubled mental state at the time).—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Her panel’s core thesis is that historically, in troubled times, people rewrite the rules, build better systems and make things better.—
Ramon Ramirez,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wegmann said people tend to think of affordable housing in the context of the housing projects built in decades past, which, in some cases, were plagued by crime.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Much of the Colorado River’s water begins as snow in Colorado’s mountains, which have been plagued by record-low snowfall this winter.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Making up between 8% to 17% of the country’s total population, Iran’s Kurdish minority has long been persecuted under the Islamic Republic.—
John Calabrese,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The mission said intelligence agencies routinely persecuted political adversaries, falsifying evidence to justify arrests and in some cases resorting to torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The ride-sharing company Lyft will ensure the rights of blind and other disabled passengers across the country to travel with their service animals under a settlement announced in Minnesota on Wednesday.—
Steve Karnowski,
Twin Cities,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Her candidacy, endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, has focused on her working-class roots and role as a caretaker for a disabled sister.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His fourth attempt was foiled when he was arrested at the airport and detained and tortured for several months.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The former soldier also said Haitian police mentally and physically tortured the Colombian suspects after they were taken into custody.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Congress has for the most part registered only feeble and ineffective opposition to such executive action.—
Sarah Burns,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Scratches above the dead body reach upward, marks that read as feeble attempts to cling to some semblance of life.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 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
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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 13 Mar. 2026.
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