Meaning
Afflict means to cause pain, suffering, or distress to someone or something. It usually describes physical, emotional, or mental hardship.
Grammar and Usage
- Part of speech: verb (transitive)
- Typical structure: afflict somebody/something with something
- Often used in the passive voice: be afflicted with/by something
- More common in formal or literary English.
Example structures
- be afflicted with a disease
- be afflicted by poverty
- afflict someone with guilt
Common Phrases
- be afflicted with an illness
- be afflicted by hardship
- afflict the community
- afflict the poor
Collocations
| Combination | Example |
|---|---|
| afflict + population | The population was afflicted by hunger. |
| afflict + person/group | War afflicted millions of people. |
| be afflicted with + illness | She was afflicted with asthma. |
| be afflicted by + problem | The country was afflicted by corruption. |
Examples
- The region was afflicted by drought for several years.
- He was afflicted with severe headaches.
- Many people are afflicted by loneliness in old age.
- The town was afflicted by poverty and disease.
- She felt afflicted with guilt after lying to her friend.
- The entire area was afflicted by floods.
- He was afflicted with insomnia for months.
- Economic instability afflicts many developing countries.
Synonyms or Related
- torment
- distress
- trouble
- plague
- oppress
Antonym
- relieve
- comfort
- soothe
