affliction
Americannoun
-
afflictions
plural
-
a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery.
They sympathized with us in our affliction.
-
a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution.
- Synonyms:
- disaster, catastrophe, calamity, tribulation, trouble, mishap
noun
-
a condition of great distress, pain, or suffering
-
something responsible for physical or mental suffering, such as a disease, grief, etc
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of affliction
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English affliccioun, from Latin afflīctiōn-, stem of afflīctiō; equivalent to afflict + -ion
Explanation
An affliction makes you suffer, but you have to deal with it anyway. Diseases are often said to be afflictions, but the word can mean just about anything that causes great suffering. The word afflict, which makes up the first part of the word, means to cause this type of trouble. "Tom liked to inflict pain on his brother. His brother considered Tom just one more affliction he had to bear." The word can also be used as an exaggeration of something that isn't so bad––"Homework is often seen as an affliction by students and parents alike."
Vocabulary lists containing affliction
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Vocelle finds criticism that cat dads are seen as feminine, neurotic or less desirable as a relatively modern and unfounded affliction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Further, they can be hard for primary care doctors, who might not be familiar with every tick-borne affliction, to catch.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Olay launched a face-and-neck-lifting treatment earlier this year and is marketing the product partly as a solution to the affliction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
But lately, it is drawing attention for those drugs’ success at clearing a more familiar affliction: acne.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
Everybody knew it was his mother, Kate, who saved him from affliction and the early winnowing that is every plantation slave’s first trial.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
It joins a family of facial afflictions that also includes “necklace lines,” “Crows’ feet” and “elevens”—the wrinkles between the eyebrows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Like many chronic afflictions, Mets fandom can be hereditary or acquired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Burnett never insists that they’re the sane ones, nor does he infantilize Fish and Poinsettia’s afflictions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2025
Meanwhile, physical afflictions can be ameliorated via automated systems that adjust indoor conditions in response to signs of animal distress.
From Salon ● May 15, 2024
Clamp it to his heart and wait for the goddess to thrust her fiery hand through its planes and burn away his afflictions.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
