affliction

noun

af·​flic·​tion ə-ˈflik-shən How to pronounce affliction (audio)
1
: a cause of persistent pain or distress
a mysterious affliction
2
: great suffering
felt empathy with their affliction
3
: the state of being afflicted by something that causes suffering
her affliction with polio

Examples of affliction in a Sentence

She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction. He died from a mysterious affliction.
Recent Examples on the Web Once considered an affliction of older obese white men, kidney stones are now increasingly common among children and Black and brown communities. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024 Wentworth is among a growing cohort of young adults who face diagnoses that are more commonly associated with late-in-life afflictions. Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 18 Jan. 2024 That’s because, aside from a few rare scenarios and circumstances, the average freshwater fisherman doesn’t catch fish in deep enough water to have to worry about this affliction. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 15 Feb. 2024 Now a young adult experiencing troubling blackouts, after which freshly eviscerated bodies always seem to be present, Anna the Ripper decides to take up with a psychiatrist (Eric Porter) who attempts to cure her of her murderous affliction. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023 The game follows a group of high school students who use this power to traverse a seemingly never-ending tower called Tartarus in order to learn more about the Dark Hour and its connection to a spreading affliction known as apathy syndrome. Andrew Webster, The Verge, 2 Feb. 2024 As The Washington Post’s Danielle Abril recently reported, meeting overload is a common affliction that employers are increasingly combating by canceling standing meetings, declaring no-meeting Wednesdays and encouraging employees to block solo work time on their calendars. Karla L. Miller, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024 The Bay Area office market’s afflictions include record-high vacancy levels, a sluggish return to the workplace and the prospect that remote work is becoming a permanent feature of the region’s economic landscape. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2024 When his new beau is taken hostage in a bank robbery, his affliction becomes his superpower. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'affliction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English affliccioun "misery, distress, self-inflicted pain," borrowed from Anglo-French afflicion, borrowed from Late Latin afflīctiōn-, afflīctiō, from Latin afflīgere "to afflict" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of affliction was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near affliction

Cite this Entry

“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affliction. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

affliction

noun
af·​flic·​tion ə-ˈflik-shən How to pronounce affliction (audio)
1
: the state of being afflicted
2
: something that causes pain or unhappiness

More from Merriam-Webster on affliction

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