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
-
The 74-year-old Weinstein, meanwhile, reported chest pains during jury deliberations in the most recent trial, spurring another early end to court.
-
The colors, pains, pleasures, smells, tastes and sounds, the what-it’s-like of being conscious, are not private inner bits and blobs that philosophers call qualia, floating in a theatre of the mind.
Noun
-
Morgan and her Judgment Day cronies tried to bribe Danhausen to put curses on their opponents.
-
In baseball, curses are no joking matter, and the Curse of the FTD Burger might now have befallen the team.
Noun
-
For me, the purpose of art is to come to grips with the demons of the past, present, and future; to give form to chaos; to enable us to process fear; and to conceive of a different, more humane future.
-
There are highs and lows, angels and demons.
Noun
-
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.
-
The boy later died from his injuries at the hospital.
Noun
-
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
-
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
-
Two weeks ago, Lutnick invoked export control authorities to require Anthropic to shut off access to its two most capable systems, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, citing threats to national security.
-
The conflict over the past few months has increased war risk insurance costs for both maritime and aviation sectors, with insurers reassessing exposure due to missile threats, airspace closure, and other disruptions.
Noun
-
The year since has been one of night-terrors and grief for the families who lost loved ones.
-
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
-
The lawsuit also seeks unspecified financial damages.
-
The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million in damages.
Cite this Entry
“Afflictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictions. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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