as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
the afflicting sight of so many earthquake victims was too much even for some hardened rescue workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the South was afflicted by a severe drought he's been afflicted by nightmares ever since the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afflicting
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Their bread-and-butter is comforting the most comfortable by afflicting the most afflicted.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Osula is out with a foot injury which has been afflicting him for most of the season.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Other geopolitical threats afflicting OPEC+ nations continue to simmer.
—Grant Smith, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
The Canadian national conscience is rightly troubled by the serious social problems afflicting Indigenous Canada.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025
Petek and others have warned about the possibility of a serious recession afflicting the national economy which would exacerbate the budget’s imbalance and strain California’s emergency reserves, which have already been tapped to cover shortfalls.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
No matter how much Nino may try to detach their devotion for one another from the problems afflicting Lebanon, the turmoil seeps into their home, proving that even the most personal choices are inevitably tied to larger forces.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Cohen excels at describing the existential aimlessness afflicting young men set loose upon the world after completing their compulsory military service.
—Andrew Ridker, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
But the overlap with unusually frigid temperatures afflicting Florida's Space Coast and the rest of the country have turned Crew-12's launch opportunities into an intricate dance around Artemis 2.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Their bread-and-butter is comforting the most comfortable by afflicting the most afflicted.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Osula is out with a foot injury which has been afflicting him for most of the season.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Other geopolitical threats afflicting OPEC+ nations continue to simmer.
—Grant Smith, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
The Canadian national conscience is rightly troubled by the serious social problems afflicting Indigenous Canada.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 Dec. 2025
Petek and others have warned about the possibility of a serious recession afflicting the national economy which would exacerbate the budget’s imbalance and strain California’s emergency reserves, which have already been tapped to cover shortfalls.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
No matter how much Nino may try to detach their devotion for one another from the problems afflicting Lebanon, the turmoil seeps into their home, proving that even the most personal choices are inevitably tied to larger forces.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Cohen excels at describing the existential aimlessness afflicting young men set loose upon the world after completing their compulsory military service.
—Andrew Ridker, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicting
Adjective
-
Knee-assist devices and exoskeletons often use simple bearings placed near the knee, which can create painful misalignment because a real knee hinges but also shifts, rolls, and slides.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
After 35 rounds of radiation and painful robotic surgery on his tongue, Coulier can finally begin to recover from his cancer battle.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even cursory nods to the pandemic as the root cause of neighbors turning against neighbors aren’t explored so much as they’re acknowledged, as if viewers are somehow unaware of the polarization plaguing America.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The House passed a bipartisan housing bill that would enact new policies to boost housing supply and ease the affordability crisis plaguing the nation.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The energy output is designed to remain stable down to –50 degrees Celsius, supporting reliable operation in some of the harshest climates on Earth, reports InsideEVs.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Rapinchuk recommends only using non-toxic products when cleaning your refrigerator and avoiding anything with harsh chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people.—
Maria Guinnip,
Oklahoman,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has repeatedly alleged that the South African government is actively persecuting white citizens, particularly farmers.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Decades later, in a cruel twist of fate, the Guthrie family is no longer pantomiming a kidnapping.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Rojas was never treated by a physician while at El Helicoide, where human rights groups have denounced cases of cruel, inhuman treatment and torture.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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