as in painful
causing or feeling bodily pain
the afflictive disease known as shingles is a reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox
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Recent Examples of afflictive
Perhaps this afflictive uncertainty can be redefined.
—
Krista Stevens, Longreads, 26 Apr. 2018
Krista Stevens, Longreads, 26 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflictive
Adjective
-
The result was a painful correction.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The most painful part of the quarter-long dry spell was that Oklahoma City seemed to have all the answers during San Antonio’s explosive first half.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mac Jones did not throw Wednesday because of a sore shoulder that checked out clean and should be ready for training camp, which is expected to open July 25 or 26.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
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Sales have been a sore spot for Lululemon, but profitability has been an even larger challenge.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
But these are quibbles when a movie conjures a world as aching and in-between as the one in The Meltdown.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afflictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictive. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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