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.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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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

Words nearby afflict

affix, affixation, affixture, afflated, afflatus, afflict, afflicting, affliction, afflictive, affluence, affluency
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to afflicted

depressed, stricken, cursed, impaired, suffering, grieved, doleful

Example sentences from the Web for afflicted

British Dictionary definitions for afflicted

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