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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afflicting
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2025
One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
To be sure, this rash of robberies pales in comparison with the crime levels afflicting less affluent neighborhoods on the South and West sides.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
And yet, because the show requires quite a bit of prior knowledge for viewers to truly know what’s going on, particularly in the back half of the season, Born Again ends up suffering the exact same malady afflicting every other inch of the MCU enterprise.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Egg prices have jumped to all-time highs due in part to an outbreak of avian flu, or bird flu, that has been afflicting egg-laying hens in the US since 2022.
—Jennifer Hauser, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Egg prices have skyrocketed to all-time highs due in part to an outbreak of avian flu, or bird flu, that has been afflicting egg-laying hens in the US since 2022.
—John Towfighi, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
But when the movie begins, his bosses consider his contract killing career to be approaching its natural conclusion because of the joint pain afflicting his trigger finger.
—Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
At the time, no one knew what was afflicting her; over the next several decades, doctors hypothesized that her symptoms were caused by everything from malnutrition to psychosis.
—Bethany Heitman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2025
One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
To be sure, this rash of robberies pales in comparison with the crime levels afflicting less affluent neighborhoods on the South and West sides.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
And yet, because the show requires quite a bit of prior knowledge for viewers to truly know what’s going on, particularly in the back half of the season, Born Again ends up suffering the exact same malady afflicting every other inch of the MCU enterprise.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Egg prices have jumped to all-time highs due in part to an outbreak of avian flu, or bird flu, that has been afflicting egg-laying hens in the US since 2022.
—Jennifer Hauser, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Egg prices have skyrocketed to all-time highs due in part to an outbreak of avian flu, or bird flu, that has been afflicting egg-laying hens in the US since 2022.
—John Towfighi, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
But when the movie begins, his bosses consider his contract killing career to be approaching its natural conclusion because of the joint pain afflicting his trigger finger.
—Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
At the time, no one knew what was afflicting her; over the next several decades, doctors hypothesized that her symptoms were caused by everything from malnutrition to psychosis.
—Bethany Heitman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicting
Adjective
-
Once Schaefer’s emotional moment was done, the rest of the conversations ranged from mildly awkward to borderline painful.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Come spring, the Ranger III carries everything from outhouses and diesel fuel for the generators to construction supplies to repair whatever damage Mother Nature did to facilities over the harsh winter.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
-
The United States and Europe must finally sever all economic ties with Russia (e.g., nuclear partnerships) and impose harsher sanctions on Russia and secondary sanctions so that China and others face consequences for their support of the war.—
Laura Thornton,
Twin Cities,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
-
They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicting. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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