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
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Think about caring for an ill mate, losing income because of having to give up your job, having difficulty paying your bills and suffering from painful arthritis while serving as the unpaid caregiver.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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Jan Garrod said the cost of farming and trucking with the skyrocketing cost of diesel is almost too painful to think about.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But eliminating the ban has hit a sore spot with environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
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Power forward LeBron James was out for the Lakers that night due to a sore left ankle and foot, according to a game recap.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The dramatic and aching second movement, according to Egarr, may have been a love letter to one of Beethoven’s romantic interests.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afflictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflictive. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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