Synonyms of afflicting

afflicting 1 of 2

adjective

as in painful

hard to accept or bear especially emotionally

the afflicting sight of so many earthquake victims was too much even for some hardened rescue workers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• painful
• harsh
• cruel
• terrible
• torturous
• horrible
• agonizing
• severe
• grievous
• bitter
• tormenting
• hurtful
• unacceptable
• awful
• unbearable
• excruciating
• galling
• harrowing
• dreadful
• intolerable
• bad
• dire
• miserable
• heartrending
• appalling
• acute
• insufferable
• vile
• wretched
• unendurable
• ghastly
• insupportable
• intense
• extreme
• rotten
• nasty
• unsupportable
• piercing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gratifying
• pleasing
• sweet
• tolerable
• bearable
• endurable
• sustainable
• acceptable
• survivable
• supportable
• livable
• reasonable
• allowable
• sufferable

afflicting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of afflict

as in plaguing

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

• plaguing
• persecuting
• torturing
• besieging
• besetting
• tormenting
• attacking
• bedeviling
• bothering
• cursing
• excruciating
• troubling
• harrowing
• anguishing
• racking
• agonizing
• stinging
• striking
• assailing
• disturbing
• pursuing
• aggravating
• distressing
• oppressing
• harassing
• vexing
• annoying
• worrying
• hurting
• irritating
• overwhelming
• dogging
• exasperating
• hounding
• upsetting
• irking
• trying
• badgering
• bugging
• riding
• harrying
• pestering
• molesting
• agitating
• grieving
• perturbing
• victimizing
• nettling
• discomforting
• stressing
• disquieting
• riling
• galling
• griping
• smiting
• tyrannizing
• stabbing
• chafing
• piquing
• grating
• overpowering
• crushing
• smarting
• straining
• putting out
• pricking
• rasping
• getting
• peeving
• flustering
• paining
• wringing
• discomposing
• hagriding
• panging
• martyring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• helping
• assisting
• aiding
• abetting
• relieving
• delivering
• releasing
• comforting
• consoling
• soothing
• contenting
• quieting
• reprieving
• succoring
• solacing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of afflicting

Verb

That constraint contributes to the housing crises afflicting these seasonal recreation areas. — Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026

Health advocates consider an official definition of ultraprocessed food a key step toward bringing greater scrutiny to meals that are blamed for multiple chronic health problems afflicting Americans. — Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

The wildfires afflicting communities across the world can now be tracked more easily by anyone using Europe’s free and open satellite imagery service—all thanks to a wildfire visualization script originating from nearly a decade ago. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026

Other writers have successfully captured the malaise afflicting the under-45 crowd and offered nutrient-dense characters. — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

One hour of media day player interviews, amid all the narratives afflicting the sport, felt like a long time to hold your breath. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 24 July 2026

The story also reflects the economic hardships afflicting parts of Italian society, the director adds. — Ed Meza, Variety, 23 July 2026

Cholera, a waterborne bacterial disease, has unleashed a perilous wave across southern Africa, with active outbreaks currently afflicting five countries in southern and central Africa. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

Never mind the economic turbulence afflicting the country and the world, driven most recently by rising gas prices because of the war in Iran. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2026