1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
she listened with deep affliction as her daughter told her about the latest trouble she was in
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
felt such great affliction over the destruction of the beautiful old home
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3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
alcohol has been his affliction ever since he took his first drink at the age of 12
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in injury
something that causes loss or pain
cronyism and corruption are afflictions on the body politic
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affliction
The annual allergy affliction happens when the male mountain ashe juniper trees get frisky looking for the female mountain ashe junipers and unleash all of their itchy, yellow pollen.
—
Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
Our time’s great spiritual affliction is longing without an object.
—Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Everyone said their name along with their affliction.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
The show, which ran for five seasons, featured Chamberlain as the handsome and caring attendant to a panoply of guest-star patients seeking aid and comfort for a variety of afflictions.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
Our time’s great spiritual affliction is longing without an object.
—Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Everyone said their name along with their affliction.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
The show, which ran for five seasons, featured Chamberlain as the handsome and caring attendant to a panoply of guest-star patients seeking aid and comfort for a variety of afflictions.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for affliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affliction
Noun
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Office conversions to residential, especially in New York City, are also helping mitigate some of the distress.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Only four districts face significant fiscal distress — a decline from prior years.—
John Manly,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Buckley navigates the film in elemental sorrow without sentimentality, delivering what many consider the performance of the year, and undoubtedly her career so far.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Now, their families are turning sorrow into service.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those declines are making Berkshire's more than $350 billion in cash look more like a blessing than a curse.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
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Classical Amid all the constant wondering of when things will get better, the slow drip of time may feel like a curse.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the movie, HUNTR/X, the worldwide K-pop girl group made up of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, spends their off-hours battling demons.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
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The movie, about a pop girl group, HUNTR/X, that fights demons and protect South Korea from them, was a smash hit.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Schwesinger also battled through an ankle injury this season, playing 16 of 17 games for Kevin Stefanski’s club.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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After several years of gradual development amid shifting roles and a major shoulder injury, Dosunmu cemented himself as an elite two-way player this season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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Steven McDonald, a fallen hero of the department who channeled the agony of three devastating gunshot wounds into an enduring message of peace and forgiveness.—
Barry Williams,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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White’s dialogue is unsentimental but rife with anguish; Owen Teague and a seductive, destructive Abbey Lee give the pain its due.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
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His murder was met with fury and anguish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Caleb Landry Jones stars as the titular bloodsucker, while Christoph Waltz plays his nemesis in Van Helsing.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2026
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And while Warriors nemesis LeBron James is expected to play for the Lakers, his teammate Luka Doncic will likely be out after injuring his hamstring on Thursday against the 76ers.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affliction. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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