afflict
verb (used with object)
to distress with mental or bodily pain; trouble greatly or grievously.
afflicts
-
present tense formof afflict (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
Sadly, it afflicts much of the industrialized world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Some 93% of the world’s children, she said, live in polluted air, and pollution hits home with her own kids, and the asthma that disproportionately afflicts L.A.’s kids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
But if Ireland’s radically asymmetrical relationship with the U.S. is distinctive, the crisis it represents is global and afflicts many other small and medium-size nations.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2025
An unusual autumn heat wave afflicts California, with elevated fire concerns that on Monday prompted some power shutoffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2024
It could certainly make sure that everyone had equal wealth—but that would just add to the plague of boredom that afflicts the immortal.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
