Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense afflicts, present participle afflicting, past tense, past participle afflicted
verb
If you are afflictedby pain, illness, or disaster, it affects you badly and makes you suffer.
[formal]
The organization has been afflicted by political corruption for decades. [beV-ed + by/with]
There are two main problems which afflict people with hearing impairments. [VERB noun]
The afflicted person should keep off solid foods and drink plenty of fluids. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: torment, trouble, pain, hurt More Synonyms of afflict
The afflicted are people who are afflicted.
It is food that the afflicted want now.
afflict in British English
(əˈflɪkt)
verb
(transitive)
to cause suffering or unhappiness to; distress greatly
Derived forms
afflictive (afˈflictive)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin afflictus, past participle of afflīgere to knock against, from flīgere to knock, to strike
afflict in American English
(əˈflɪkt)
verb transitive
1.
to cause pain or suffering to; distress very much
2. Obsolete
to overthrow
Word origin
< L afflictare, to injure, vex < afflictus, pp. of affligere, to strike down < ad-, to + fligere: see inflict
Examples of 'afflict' in a sentence
afflict
By now he is afflicted with gout and his health is beginning to fade.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
People so afflicted behave as if controlled from outside themselves.
Christopher Ross TUNNEL VISIONS: Journeys of an Underground Philosopher (2001)
In terms of the number of people afflicted it is worse than cancer.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
What is the mystery illness afflicting these finely tuned sportsmen?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There should be no shame in being afflicted by an illness.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Suffering afflicts people for different reasons.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He maintains that the exorcism is the only procedure that can truly and definitively determine whether a person is afflicted by satanic influence.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This is important because of the many problems now afflicting Europe.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Changing to a high quality diet Most diseases that afflict people nowadays are caused by faulty nutrition.
Lutzner, Dr Helmut Successful Fasting -the easy way to cleanse your body of its poisons (1990)
His father was suffering from loneliness and the other blight that often afflicts people in his situation, unnecessary loss of health through not eating properly.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Indeed, without the apathy now afflicting the union movement, he might not be in his job.
The Sun (2011)
Like a jilted lover, he is still stalking the firm, talking it down and blaming it for disasters that have afflicted the world since.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is probably because of a problem that is now afflicting many British seabirds - a decline in the number of sand eels in the sea.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The first of these can be seen simply as a misfortune: Unity was an afflicted person and what could the family do but endure her affliction.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The bill raises complex moral issues about the conflict between the autonomy and dignity of the afflicted person and, on the other hand, the sanctity of life.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
afflict
British English: afflict VERB
If you are afflicted by pain, illness, or disaster, it affects you badly and makes you suffer.
The country has been afflicted by political corruption for decades.
American English: afflict
Brazilian Portuguese: afligir
Chinese: 困扰
European Spanish: afligir
French: affliger
German: plagen
Italian: affliggere
Japanese: 悩ます
Korean: 괴롭히다
European Portuguese: afligir
Latin American Spanish: afligir
Chinese translation of 'afflict'
afflict
(əˈflɪkt)
vt
to be afflicted with or by sth被某事所折磨 (bèi mǒushì suǒ zhémó)
(verb)
Definition
to cause someone suffering or unhappiness
There are four main problems that afflict these people.
Synonyms
torment
At times, memories returned to torment her.
trouble
Is anything troubling you?
pain
It pains me to think of an animal being in distress.
hurt
I'll go. I've hurt you enough.
wound
He was deeply wounded by the treachery of his closest friends.
burden
distress
I did not want to frighten or distress her.
rack
a teenager racked with guilt
try
She really tried my patience.
plague
She was plagued by weakness, fatigue, and dizziness.