affliction

[uh-flik-shuhn]

noun

1. a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery.

   They sympathized with us in our affliction.

   Antonyms: solace, comfort, relief

2. a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution.

   Synonyms: disaster, catastrophe, calamity, tribulation, trouble, mishap

affliction

/ əˈflɪkʃən /

noun

1. a condition of great distress, pain, or suffering

2. something responsible for physical or mental suffering, such as a disease, grief, etc

Other Word Forms

• afflictionless adjective
• overaffliction noun
• preaffliction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of affliction¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English affliccioun, from Latin afflīctiōn-, stem of afflīctiō; equivalent to afflict + -ion

Synonym Study

Affliction, adversity, misfortune, trial refer to an event or circumstance that is hard to bear. A misfortune is any adverse or unfavorable occurrence: He had the misfortune to break his leg. Affliction suggests not only a serious misfortune but the emotional effect of this: Blindness is an affliction. Adversity suggests a calamity or distress: Job remained patient despite all his adversities. Trial emphasizes the testing of one's character in undergoing misfortunes, trouble, etc.: His son's conduct was a great trial to him.

Example Sentences

The duck is as well-known in Japan, where Aflac now does most of its business, anxieties over cancer and other afflictions running more deeply there than in the U.S.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Tseng went more than a decade without winning a tournament as she struggled through injuries, mechanical problems, and the one affliction no golfer would wish on their worst enemy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Perhaps the most grotesque episode features the boys salvaging their grandmother’s hot tub, promising Dad they’ll keep it clean and then contracting some kind of gruesome, racking bronchial affliction that coughs up another moral.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Nasaw provides examples of World War II veterans for whom it lasted 50 years or more—for some it became a lifelong affliction.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In pretending to share Roman’s affliction, Dennis is also hiding that he had a short-lived fling with Roman’s brother.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calamity 
• disease 
• disorder 
• hardship 
• illness 
• infirmity 
• misery 
• pain 
• scourge 
• sickness 
• suffering 
• torment 
• woe 

When To Use

What is affliction?

Affliction refers to a negative state that could include pain, suffering, or grief, as in The servants watched over the manor while the duke was in a state of affliction following his son’s death.Affliction can also refer to something that causes mental or bodily pain, such as disease or misfortune, as in The captain was bedridden due to a mysterious affliction that the doctor couldn’t identify.  Affliction is used similarly to words like adversity, misfortune, and trial, which also describe things that cause suffering or pain. Unlike these words, though, affliction is often used to describe something specifically forced on a person that causes serious emotional effects in addition to other suffering.Example: The man lost his hearing during the accident but has since learned to live with his affliction.