as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
the afflicting sight of so many earthquake victims was too much even for some hardened rescue workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the South was afflicted by a severe drought he's been afflicted by nightmares ever since the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of afflicting
Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Maylia and Jack are both kids, two of the untold number of minors caught up in one side or the other of the burgeoning fentanyl trade afflicting the US.
—Longreads, 4 Oct. 2024
Whatever's afflicting you out there, in here the coffee is always hot, the fries are always crispy and the ranch dip is always free.
—Tyler Buchanan, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
Something is genuinely off about the goings-on at the conference, from strange deaths and elevators that suddenly aren’t elevators, to a rash of scabby infections afflicting guests and the discovery of a subterranean tunnel.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Israel has also been busy afflicting potentially mortal blows against Hezbollah’s powerful rocket and missile arsenal, estimated to number anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 surface-to-surface projectiles, including long-range and precision-guided munitions.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
The swift growth has been accompanied by stressors afflicting the city’s infrastructure, including its housing supply.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Maylia and Jack are both kids, two of the untold number of minors caught up in one side or the other of the burgeoning fentanyl trade afflicting the US.
—Longreads, 4 Oct. 2024
Whatever's afflicting you out there, in here the coffee is always hot, the fries are always crispy and the ranch dip is always free.
—Tyler Buchanan, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024
Something is genuinely off about the goings-on at the conference, from strange deaths and elevators that suddenly aren’t elevators, to a rash of scabby infections afflicting guests and the discovery of a subterranean tunnel.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Israel has also been busy afflicting potentially mortal blows against Hezbollah’s powerful rocket and missile arsenal, estimated to number anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 surface-to-surface projectiles, including long-range and precision-guided munitions.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicting
Adjective
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Bucs on thin ice to make playoffs After positioning themselves to leapfrog the Falcons in the NFC South standings last week, the Buccaneers suffered a painful 26-24 loss to the Cowboys.Mike Jones, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
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Wear sunscreen every day, all day to avoid painful sunburn.Will McGough, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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So, unlike fitting a traditional all-terrain tire designed for a truck or heavier SUV, these won’t ruin a crossover’s fuel economy or create an unnecessarily harsh ride.Bryan Rogala, Outside Online, 30 Dec. 2024
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However, imposing harsher penalties for repeat offenders was what drove support for Proposition 36.Koko Nakajima, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Some Rochester residents disagree and find their city’s methods excessively cruel to the birds.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024
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By the time Lovely Runner’s series finale dropped in late May, millions of K-drama fans around the world had become invested in the story of Sol and Sun-jae, desperate to find out if their love could withstand the cruel vagaries of fate.Kayti Burt, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near afflicting
Cite this Entry
“Afflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicting. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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