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
-
This approach also conveys empathy, showing that a provider understands the pains of its customers.—
Arthur Azizov,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2026
-
Moving your body before bedtime can help alleviate aches and pains.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
At defensive corners, Salah normally assumes a blocking role, tasked with disrupting the runs of key opposition aerial threats.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The Indiana Senate rejected mid-decade redistricting today, capping off a bitter state fight for control of Congress that has divided the GOP, spurred violent threats and dramatically changed the political landscape ahead of the midterm elections.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other, and their own demons on the path to salvation.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
What followed was 50-some-odd years of demons being exorcised in Madison Square Garden.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Why This Matters for Cornea Healing Traumatic ocular surface injuries affect more than 1 million Americans each year, and severe dry eye disease and corneal abrasions affect millions more.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
-
Researchers are developing experimental eye drops made from living bacteria that could heal corneal injuries with a single application.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 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
Noun
-
Any justice in the community would praise this murderer’s row of craftspeople working on the production design for the period town setting; makeup, especially Pennywise’s horrible face; sound design, for helping to keep the audio terrors churning along; and the costume work.—
William Earl,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The Iskanders sued Grossman and Erickson, and last week a jury found the pair liable in the boys’ deaths, awarding $176 million in damages to parents Nancy and Karim Iskander and younger son Zachary for wrongful death and emotional distress.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
The Cains sought $1 million in damages.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afflictions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictions. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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