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
-
Chants laced with curses echo through Madison Square Garden.—
Albert Samaha,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
-
This energy can even cause a jinx, curses or even death.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, DC, has removed a priest as an exorcist and cut ties with the priest's nonprofit organization over comments the priest made about UFOs and demons.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
The Bosch follower panel, titled Hell, was packed with the strange creatures, demons, and punishments that made the artist famous.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Victor Rivas, 40, sustained injuries to his arms and was treated at a hospital before he was booked into jail on allegations of driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and being a fugitive from adjacent Jefferson Parish, Louisiana State Police said.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
The driver was also taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center with unknown injuries.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
However, while yellow journalism often resulted in articles that were exaggerated or misleading, TMZ usually takes pains to be rigorous and accurate in its reporting.—
Angelica Kalika,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
-
Acer was also at pains to point out the large performance differential between the RTX 5070 Ti and the vanilla RTX 5070, which sounds similar.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Autonomous task forces of drones could be assigned to defend against specific threats — Russian subs sneaking into the Atlantic Ocean, say, or a possible amphibious landing on Taiwan.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
What’s more, Rick can’t get through to Danny, because the pop star’s brash and aggressive manager (Jack Reynor) refuses to put Rick through, and responds to his claims with threats.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
The night is dark and full of terrors, but our Instagram account is full of House of the Dragon.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
After an eight-week trial, a jury on Wednesday awarded the boys’ parents, Nancy and Karim Iskander, and their younger brother, Zachary, $176 million in wrongful death and emotional distress damages.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Braun urged the jury to start at zero and go from there when computing any damages.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
The agonies of the day were only intermittently audible in the music on offer in Witten.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afflictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictions. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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