DEFINITIONS

afflict

[ uh-flikt ]
/ əˈflɪkt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR afflict ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to distress with mental or bodily pain; trouble greatly or grievously: to be afflicted with arthritis.
Obsolete.
  1. to overthrow; defeat.
  2. to humble.

Content related to afflict

What Does “Musty” Literally Smell Like?The common cholesterol drug Lipitor was recently subject to a recall due to reports from consumers about a “musty” odor associated with the bottles. We aren’t interested in the drug — this post concerns stink, stench, aroma. Smell may be the hardest sense to describe in words, which is why we are eager to take a whiff. The sense of smell is known as olfaction …
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Words related to afflict

annoy, torture, bother, wound, oppress, beset, torment, burden, plague, rack, crucify, smite, pester, pain, distress, agonize, lacerate, grieve, vex, try

Words nearby afflict

affix, affixation, affixture, afflated, afflatus, afflict, afflicting, affliction, afflictive, affluence, affluency

Origin of afflict

1350–1400; Middle English afflicten < Latin afflīctus distressed, past participle of afflīgere to cast down (af- af- + flīg- knock + -tus past participle suffix); replacing Middle English aflight < Middle French aflit < L. See inflict

OTHER WORDS FROM afflict

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH afflict

afflict infect inflict
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for afflict

British Dictionary definitions for afflict

afflict
/ (əˈflɪkt) /

verb

(tr) to cause suffering or unhappiness to; distress greatly

Derived forms of afflict

afflictive, adjective

Word Origin for afflict

C14: from Latin afflictus, past participle of afflīgere to knock against, from flīgere to knock, to strike
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012