1
as in distresses
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 curses
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
3
as in demons
a source of persistent emotional distress
suffered from afflictions that only a professional therapist could deal with
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in injuries
something that causes loss or pain
cronyism and corruption are afflictions on the body politic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afflictions
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
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
Even as Steph Curry missed two months with persistent knee soreness and swelling, as Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler were lost for the year with knee injuries, as the team trotted out 41 different starting lineups as other members of the supporting cast dealt with various afflictions.
—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2026
But those maladies have nothing against the ones presented in this list—six afflictions that many of us have come to know all too well.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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
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
And then, these afflictions can lead to a life-or-death struggle.
—
Jayme Moye,
Outside,
5 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub,
20 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
Even as Steph Curry missed two months with persistent knee soreness and swelling, as Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler were lost for the year with knee injuries, as the team trotted out 41 different starting lineups as other members of the supporting cast dealt with various afflictions.
—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2026
But those maladies have nothing against the ones presented in this list—six afflictions that many of us have come to know all too well.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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
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
And then, these afflictions can lead to a life-or-death struggle.
—
Jayme Moye,
Outside,
5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflictions
Noun
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Having witnessed centuries of religious warfare in Europe, when millions were killed for their beliefs, the framers took pains to make sure nothing like that would happen here.
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Perhaps second only to getting sunburned through your favorite white dress, the greatest casualty of summer fashion is the aches and pains brought on by your cutest but least supportive shoes.
Noun
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Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
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In baseball, curses are no joking matter, and the Curse of the FTD Burger might now have befallen the team.
Noun
-
Eerie in a way that feels more seductive than scary, the film isn’t bewitched by its demons so much as the process of transubstantiation by which a (self)tortured young woman can transform them into grace.
-
Opportunity Babcock will arrive at camp in search of forwards who can be demons on the forecheck.
Noun
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Puncture wounds are a classic example, but lacerations, fractures that break the skin, burns, crush injuries and even relatively minor cuts can also pose a risk if they are contaminated with dirt or debris.
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The boy later died from his injuries at the hospital.
Noun
-
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
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Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
Noun
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When Doncic played for the Dallas Mavericks and led them to the 2024 NBA Finals, his two centers — Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford — were exceptional in their roles as lob threats, blocking shots and rolling to the rim.
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Police said they were notified Monday about the threats, which were directed at the center in the 27000 block of Dequindre Road.
Noun
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The year since has been one of night-terrors and grief for the families who lost loved ones.
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Coming later this year, Bass X Macina is set in a lawless Steampunk West overrun by brutal outlaws, machines and supernatural terrors, while Sparks of Tomorrow follows how technological progress evolved along a different path shaped by steam power blankets Kyoto in smoke.
Noun
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In 2022, a jury awarded Depp more than $10 million in damages, while Heard won one of her counterclaims and was awarded $2 million.
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Most kinds of lawsuit damages are taxable, including employment cases, property loss or damage, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, credit reporting and consumer cases, and many others.
Cite this Entry
“Afflictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictions. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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