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 The penalty shootout is a cursed affliction when the roulette wheel fails you, and that was Arsenal’s fate here. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 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 Fox McCloud has fallen victim to one of the most common afflictions in video game art direction—realism—the anthropomorphic fox and friends risk veering into the uncanny valley. — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 7 May 2026 Nearly 90 percent of respondents reported injuries or illness on the job — afflictions that spanned heat stroke to exposure to pesticides. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 4 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
  • Research supports this, showing that accepting difficult feelings leads to faster recovery and less long-term distress compared to suppression, which can worsen anxiety and depression.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • The environment of a busy pool may trigger sensory overload and distress, causing children to cry or want to leave.
    — Tana Carson, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • As the genre’s name suggests, country music tends to be preoccupied with place; the charts are full of tributes to the satisfaction of being firmly rooted in a small town, and the sorrows of leaving it behind.
    — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • Bet your bottom dollar that Son Heung-min, LAFC’s $26-million man — the record MLS fee for an incoming player — would peel himself off the mat and clear away the cobwebs and the sorrow of the past few weeks and months.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • This caveat could be a blessing and a curse, warned Sridhar Tayur, a professor of operations management at Carnegie Mellon University.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 July 2026
  • However, the one who came up with it happened to be the first baseman from the 2016 curse-breaking Cubs.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Over the course of 22 episodes, the Doomies crew encounters vampires, parasitic demons, vicious mermaids, and some spirits specific to French folklore, all rendered as real threats towards our heroes.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • Also featured in the film is the K-pop singing group Saja Boys — Jinu, Mystery, Abby, Romance and Baby — who are concealing their identities as demons.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • But his injury also comes as the Hawks’ roster has had a lot of turnover across the last two years.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 16 July 2026
  • Debris from the interceptions fell in several locations but no injuries or damage were reported, the Jordanian Armed Forces said, according to the state news agency Petra.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of injury
Noun
  • Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Yet, outside the excellently claustrophobic Trojan Horse scenes, Nolan is more interested in exploring his anguish than his spoils.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Your mind fills with all the defeats; all the anguish of mistakes made and opportunities missed.
    — Kristine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • The 64-year-old actress, who originally became a household name on the beloved ‘70s show as protagonist Laura Ingalls’ nemesis Nellie Oleson, made a surprise appearance on the Netflix reboot which premiered on Thursday.
    — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
  • Golden State is a candidate to sign longtime nemesis LeBron James as an unrestricted free agent.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of nemesis

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afflicting
affliction
afflictions
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Cite this Entry

“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on affliction

Nglish: Translation of affliction for Spanish Speakers

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