What does “afflict” mean?
- 1
verbto cause pain, illness or serious problems to someone or something
The region has been afflicted by drought for years.
Afflict at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /əˈflɪkt/ · uh-FLIKT
How to use “afflict” correctly
Often used in the passive: “afflicted with a disease” or “afflicted by poverty”. Don’t confuse with “inflict” (to force something bad on someone).
Common phrases with “afflict”
- afflicted with
- afflicted by
- afflict millions
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- trouble
- plague
- beset
Word family
- affliction
- afflicted
“afflict” is on these word lists
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