afflicted 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of afflictednext
as in troubled

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afflicted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of afflict
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
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 It’s typically diagnosed in adults — only about five births each year are afflicted by the condition nationwide. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Weiss has since learned he and his uncles weren’t uniquely afflicted. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicted
  1. troubled
  2. plagued
  3. disabled
  4. persecuted
  5. feeble
  6. tortured
  7. infirm
  8. besieged
Adjective
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of troubled
Verb
  • Instead, they were plagued by injuries, dropped seven of their final nine games and lost the division tiebreaker to the Carolina Panthers.
    — Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But the violence that plagued Muslims and mosques in the days and years after 9/11 stood in stark contrast to those sentiments.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of plagued
Adjective
  • On July 7, two weeks after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the predominantly Jewish town of Berdichev, where Grossman’s disabled mother was living, was occupied by the German army.
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • And some disabled people have had their caregiving slashed by new algorithmic assessments.
    — Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of disabled
Verb
  • Many see Trump as the only president to defend Nigerian Christians; his administration claims they are being persecuted by Islamist groups.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Fernanda risked her life not only to protect works of art during the war, but also to help politically persecuted people escape the Fascist regime.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of persecuted
Adjective
  • Kenneth Branagh originated the somewhat aloof professor, who steps into the role after Professor Quirrell was revealed to be hosting the feeble Lord Voldemort on the back of his bald head.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of feeble
Verb
  • Over the course of about three days, Manson's followers tortured Hinman.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The former beauty queen’s family claim that she was tortured by the suspects over dowry demands, reported the BBC.
    — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of tortured
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
Definition of infirm
Verb
  • In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of besieged

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Cite this Entry

“Afflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicted. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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