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
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit has exposed alleged financial woes — including past-due tax returns — afflicting Martinez’s numerous businesses.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Jan. 2026
But the overlap with unusually frigid temperatures afflicting Florida's Space Coast and the rest of the country have turned Crew-12's launch opportunities into an intricate dance around Artemis 2.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Their bread-and-butter is comforting the most comfortable by afflicting the most afflicted.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Osula is out with a foot injury which has been afflicting him for most of the season.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Other geopolitical threats afflicting OPEC+ nations continue to simmer.
—Grant Smith, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
The Canadian national conscience is rightly troubled by the serious social problems afflicting Indigenous Canada.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025
Petek and others have warned about the possibility of a serious recession afflicting the national economy which would exacerbate the budget’s imbalance and strain California’s emergency reserves, which have already been tapped to cover shortfalls.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
The statement did not include what skin condition requiring a prescription is afflicting Trump, but causes could include eczema, an allergic reaction caused by food or medication, shingles and others.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
The lawsuit has exposed alleged financial woes — including past-due tax returns — afflicting Martinez’s numerous businesses.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Jan. 2026
But the overlap with unusually frigid temperatures afflicting Florida's Space Coast and the rest of the country have turned Crew-12's launch opportunities into an intricate dance around Artemis 2.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Their bread-and-butter is comforting the most comfortable by afflicting the most afflicted.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Osula is out with a foot injury which has been afflicting him for most of the season.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Other geopolitical threats afflicting OPEC+ nations continue to simmer.
—Grant Smith, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
The Canadian national conscience is rightly troubled by the serious social problems afflicting Indigenous Canada.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025
Petek and others have warned about the possibility of a serious recession afflicting the national economy which would exacerbate the budget’s imbalance and strain California’s emergency reserves, which have already been tapped to cover shortfalls.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicting
Adjective
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Sermon, his mentor, was in the midst of a painful split-up with his creative partner, PMD.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
8 Mar. 2026
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And, if that wasn't painful enough, your retirement savings takes a hit because the loan isn't getting paid back.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The low-pitch frustration and helplessness plaguing Ann give Constance Zimmer good material to work with.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Microsoft, down 15% this year, is the largest stock swept up in the broader sell-off plaguing the software sector.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Engineers have long searched for efficient electric alternatives that can survive the harsh conditions inside industrial systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Critics say the danger faced by agents whose names are made public is overblown, almost always limited to harsh and violent words lobbed from behind a laptop or phone screen.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people.—
Maria Guinnip,
Oklahoman,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s the cruel beauty of golf.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
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Few Iranians will mourn the demise of the cruel and murderous Ayatollah Khamenei or his cohorts, and a large segment of Iranians want the corrupt religious regime gone.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicting. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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