The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
the South was afflicted by a severe drought
Recent Examples on the WebIn 2006, a student at a Mexican boarding school developed devastating leg pain and had trouble walking; soon hundreds of classmates were afflicted.—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024 High-profile cases of Black women who have experienced pregnancy complications or death show that disparities afflict not just the poor and disenfranchised, Blount said.—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for afflict
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English afflihten "to excite, become distressed," probably verbal derivative of affliht, aflyght "disturbed, upset," borrowed from Latin afflīctus, past participle of afflīgere "to knock or strike down, ruin, distress severely," from ad-ad- + flīgere "to strike down" — more at profligate entry 1
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