affliction

noun

ə-ˈflik-shən How to pronounce affliction (audio)
Definition of afflictionnext
1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind she listened with deep affliction as her daughter told her about the latest trouble she was in

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2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved felt such great affliction over the destruction of the beautiful old home

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3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune alcohol has been his affliction ever since he took his first drink at the age of 12

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4
as in demon
a source of persistent emotional distress suffered from afflictions that only a professional therapist could deal with

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5
as in injury
something that causes loss or pain cronyism and corruption are afflictions on the body politic

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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 affliction People commonly used tobacco to treat many ailments, including indigestion, respiratory problems, pain and loathsome mouth afflictions. — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 That combination — some sonic nostalgia mixed with an affliction for lyrical pop — helped make the track the biggest British single of 2024. — ABC News, 18 June 2026 Nilsson admits to suffering from horror vacui—a fear of empty space, which in her case reads less like a neurotic affliction than like compulsive conviviality. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026 They were considered to have strange physical afflictions or weak mental attitudes, and some people with endocrine diseases were even dismissed as ‘freaks’ and heckled in circuses or locked away in institutions. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
  1. distress
  2. sorrow
  3. curse
  4. demon
  5. injury
  6. agony
  7. anguish
  8. nemesis
Noun
  • The lawsuit requests damages of $10 million for past and future physical injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
    — Madison Lambert, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuits seek damages for wrongful death, economic loss and emotional distress, Crump said.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Outpouring of grief The sound of sobbing underlays chanting in dozens of dialects woven together in a single expression of sorrow for Imam Hussein and his companions and family, killed and taken captive in the defining event of Shia Islam.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Flitting between deadpan sorrow and impassioned romance, Bridgers’ album is alternately spooky, hilarious, mysterious and sneakily moving.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • Clementine, the oldest daughter, takes control to help break out the other children, and Mary, in telling her story publicly, has agency in rectifying the familial curse.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What did Widow’s Bay creator and showrunner Katie Dippold see in Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, mayor of the New England island town plagued by a historic curse?
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Later in the episode, Big Bang‘s Wil Wheaton shows up to reveal to Stuart that Bernadette is in fact a demon and is killed by Bert (Posehn) in a magic power duel.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Slater’s script follows an exorcist names Jefferson Haddock (Bacon), who is called into an isolated witness protection property to deal with a terrifying demon, accidentally unleashing a force that threatens to end him and everything around him.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • The truck driver was taken to the hospital with moderate injuries.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Personal injury attorneys are also a significant source of campaign cash for Democrats, including the funds Welch controls.
    — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of injury
Noun
  • Such is the ecstasy, the agony, of judgment, which was never for their benefit.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The man with almost no injury was writhing in agony, while the man with a four-inch nail lodged near his brain kept working for six days, not even realizing the nail was there.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Almodóvar’s film focuses on the suffering caused by a terminal diagnosis, and the additional anguish incurred by not having the option of aid in dying.
    — Vanessa Rampton, STAT, 5 Aug. 2026
  • With the help of an athletic trainer, Hoecht was guided to a bench and plopped down in anguish.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • The series will center around three of Christie’s early stories, while also introducing Hercule Poirot to future friends, allies and one particular nemesis.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The chain of events that led to another extermination began when Lauren Cohan’s Maggie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan captured their season 2 nemesis, the Dama (Lisa Emery), after the big bad had her men attack them.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of nemesis

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affliction
afflictions
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Cite this Entry

“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on affliction

Nglish: Translation of affliction for Spanish Speakers

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