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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in injury
something that causes loss or pain
cronyism and corruption are afflictions on the body politic
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affliction
Deprived of the Sun, Australians acquire afflictions more commonly associated with northern Scandinavia, like vitamin D deficiencies and seasonal affective disorder, only all year-round.
—
Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Chibale knew that this wasn't the case in Africa, a continent that struggles with its own afflictions, alongside limited funding, infrastructure and technical know-how.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026
Beyond entertainment, Shepard devoted herself to raising awareness for sickle cell anemia after a friend died of the affliction.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
None of these afflictions are exclusive to older moms, but age is a big factor in how serious both are.
—Heather Grossmann, Parents, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Chibale knew that this wasn't the case in Africa, a continent that struggles with its own afflictions, alongside limited funding, infrastructure and technical know-how.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026
Beyond entertainment, Shepard devoted herself to raising awareness for sickle cell anemia after a friend died of the affliction.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
None of these afflictions are exclusive to older moms, but age is a big factor in how serious both are.
—Heather Grossmann, Parents, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
Noun
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The lawsuit filed by the girl's parents alleges wrongful death, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Research indicates that retirees who define themselves primarily through their careers are vulnerable to prolonged distress.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anna ends up at a hotel bar, ordering a burger and a beer, eating her sorrows away.—
Jocelyn Noveck,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The story introduces a family curse requiring Rachel to marry her soulmate by sundown on her wedding day or face death.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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The season ends with Rachel driving away, now as this immortal witness to the ongoing curse.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Barred from his high school basketball team due to his temper, a hot-head, street-baller battles demons from his past and present to earn a spot on a summer league team and his last shot at a college basketball scholarship.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
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Rodriguez-Singh called Noel evil and a demon, police have said.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That depth, though, at least gives Brown a security blanket in case of an injury or poor performance from a rotation guy.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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With just three games remaining in their season after Thursday, the Stars could be looking at another disastrous injury.—
R.J. Coyle,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The agony of America’s post-1945 wars has been their gradual inducement of a sense of futility.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
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As young fans gripped their face in agony, the older faces held their palms up in knowing shrugs.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Despite the anguish — often told as a punch line — the winner of the competition offered a glimmer of hope to the nearly 90 attendees live-voting throughout the show via an app.—
Brittany Levine Beckman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The heart-stopping anguish of seeing two West Ham winners scored and then be ruled out only underlined the direction of this match’s one-way traffic.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The game saw Mario once again saving a damsel (Princess Peach, then called Toadstool) from his nemesis, Bowser (née King Koopa), which would remain his motivation for countless sequels for decades.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
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Yet its nemesis is always within reach.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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