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
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
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Recent Examples of affliction
The show, which ran for five seasons, featured Chamberlain as the handsome and caring attendant to a panoply of guest-star patients seeking aid and comfort for a variety of afflictions.
—
David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
Neither the dangerously rampant mental health afflictions among military folk nor the dehumanization and exploitation of undocumented people have gone unexplored in American cinema.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
The affliction is becoming more common.
—William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affliction
David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.
—New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
Neither the dangerously rampant mental health afflictions among military folk nor the dehumanization and exploitation of undocumented people have gone unexplored in American cinema.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
The affliction is becoming more common.
—William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
Noun
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The West African nation was last year among 23 sub-Saharan African countries at risk of debt distress, according to the World Bank, and rising debt service costs have long stymied government spending in vital areas such as education, health, and infrastructure.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The complaint claims that ChatGPT romanticized death and reassured Gordon during moments of emotional distress.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Death, fear, and sorrow unify the disparate practices.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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But grief will give you so much more than sorrow.—
Lauren DePino,
CNN Money,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Everything changes when a man from the protagonist's past (Harington) comes back from war, and a curse arrives in the form of a knight.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Nico Harrison is gone, but his curse on the Mavericks lingers.—
Kevin Sherrington,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As the voice of Rumi, Ejae performed the lead vocals of all the songs for HUNTR/X, the movie's fictional k-pop girl group that moonlights as demon hunters who protect the world from soul-sucking monsters.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
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The demons landed him on the streets of Detroit a couple of years ago.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Lowe has missed time with oblique injuries each of the past two seasons.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
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Tucker was slowed by a pair of injuries in his lone season with the Cubs.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The dramatic arc of the film’s first half — filled with the ecstasy of God’s embrace and the agony of imprisonment — is told through musical numbers, adapted from the Shakers’ ecstatic worship, dance, hymns, and music (watch the video above to learn more).—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
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One year before Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire published their compendium of Greek myths, Cicellis released her second work of fiction, The Way to Colonos, which ruthlessly dramatizes the limits of individual freedom and the agony of facing one’s powerlessness.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, the announcement has not dispelled the uncertainty or anguish among detainees’ families.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
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Nacua lay on the turf at Bank of America Stadium, not in physical pain but instead in mental anguish.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Musk reposted images of himself and others, like longtime nemesis Bill Gates, in bikinis.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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When his evil nemesis (Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and Willa goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her as father and daughter battle the consequences of his past.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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