Meaning & use
Afflict
Last updated
To cause pain, suffering, or distress to someone or something, often persistently.
See it in a sentence
A rare genetic disorder has afflicted the family for three generations.
Drought and famine continued to afflict the region for years.
A note on using this word
Afflict comes from the Latin 'affligere,' meaning 'to dash down,' evoking the sense of being struck or overwhelmed by hardship.
Words with a similar meaning
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