The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
the South was afflicted by a severe drought
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Protectionists presented tariffs as the essential policy to quicken the development of manufactures as well as a remedy to the social ills that afflicted the emerging industrial working class.— Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025 But the malady afflicting much of the Dodgers lineup seems to have infected the third baseman with a particularly virulent strain.—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025 Henry, afflicted by a psychic link to the monsters behind the veil of the Stranger Things universe, has to go into writhing, spitting paroxysms at least once every 20 minutes or so.—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025 The novel drug-delivery method that breaches the blood-brain barrier could be usedto treat a host of diseases that afflict millions — like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and a deadly condition associated with cancer.—Kale Williams, Axios, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for afflict
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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