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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
At the center is Kimberly, who is turning 16, but suffers from an affliction that ages her body at four to five times the pace of a normal human.
—
Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
According to Champ, a glass mosaic will suffer from these afflictions with the double whammy of making your kitchen also appear outdated.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
There were almost no visible signs of this pestering affliction, which interfered with the rabbi’s sleep and therefore with his mental competence and his negotiation of daytime duties and professional matters.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
His calm authority, wit, and quiet moral certainty is challenged by escalating reports of a mysterious affliction hitting the inhabitants of New York and beyond.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
According to Champ, a glass mosaic will suffer from these afflictions with the double whammy of making your kitchen also appear outdated.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
There were almost no visible signs of this pestering affliction, which interfered with the rabbi’s sleep and therefore with his mental competence and his negotiation of daytime duties and professional matters.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
His calm authority, wit, and quiet moral certainty is challenged by escalating reports of a mysterious affliction hitting the inhabitants of New York and beyond.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
Noun
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Experts have long warned about the limits of AI in detecting emotional distress and the risks of immersive chatbot interactions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
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In other calls, medical staff asked for ambulances for a 6-year-old boy with lethargy and a high fever, a 14-month-old in respiratory distress, and a 22-month-old with a fever and low oxygen levels.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Faced with the closure announcement on Facebook, commenters quickly expressed sorrow — and reminisced.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
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Buford’s issued a statement Monday expressing sorrow for the victims and thanking law enforcement.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The rise of the gig economy and remote work has finally broken the cubicle curse, giving us the freedom to answer emails from a mountain cabin or run a startup from a beachside bistro.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
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Pay multiple people from the crafts site Etsy to perform tarot readings, lift any existing curses and otherwise engage in witchcraft.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In writing the trio of demon hunters, the co-writers modeled them after themselves.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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The warning at the entrance was preceded by a towering statue of Pazuzu, a Mesopotamian demon-god that surfaces in Gorillaz videos and art at times.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ayton sustains knee injury in first quarter Lakers center Deandre Ayton left the game in the first quarter after sustaining a knee injury.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Cooper Flagg got a pretty warm welcome in his return from injury.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Compared with all that — and the agony for the Dodgers of leaving the bases loaded in the top of the 10th — the go-ahead homer, by Smith off Shane Bieber with two outs in the top of the 11th, was almost elementary.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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But Open, Heaven also courses with youth’s great agony, the cruelty that learning to love should be inexorably followed by learning to grieve its undoing.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Experiencing that joy and anguish can be beneficial for this still-developing group.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Cue awe-inspiring action sequences, gory battles and mental anguish that pushes Ritchson, er, 81, to his physical limits.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lox Pratt replaces Tom Felton as Harry’s schoolyard nemesis Draco Malfoy.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
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Since 1979, Iran’s revolutionary regime has been the nemesis of eight American Presidents.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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