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 afflictive Perhaps this afflictive uncertainty can be redefined. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 26 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflictive
Adjective
  • Once Schaefer’s emotional moment was done, the rest of the conversations ranged from mildly awkward to borderline painful.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin.
    Gareth McGrath, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • My feet are a bit achy and the tops of my shoulders a little sore to the touch, but spirits are still high.
    Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
  • Take in views of the world’s largest volcanic caldera at Mount Aso and soothe sore muscles in volcanic sand baths and onsens.
    Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Coupled with a story line about digital avatars who seek to replace the humans in whose images they were shaped, the movie possesses an aching sense of oblivion.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • Indeed, Macron has zipped furiously across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia all year, negotiating deals on climate, trade, military assistance, and peace, some of it in an effort to fill an aching vacuum left by Washington.
    Vivienne Walt, Time, 10 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Afflictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictive. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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