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Definitions

afflict

[uh-flikt] / əˈflɪkt /


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.

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Sleepless nights still afflict Maria occasionally but box breathing is something she knows can help her deal with periods that might feel overwhelming.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

The cost of common conditions that afflict retirees — from chronic illness to cardiovascular disease to cognitive decline — can deplete your savings with alarming speed.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026

The “true failures” that afflict the city “are choices made in the city of L.A.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

“As this lawsuit shows, major national policy changes are desperately needed to safeguard against the terrible conditions that afflict so many immigrants held in detention centers across the country.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2025

The exciting synergy of institutional life in an all-purpose national metropolis was deemed less important than the dangerous corruptions likely to afflict a nexus of politicians and financiers.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Tremors are a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease, which also notably afflicts “Back to the Future” star Michael J. Fox.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Or is Juneteenth a celebration of the strength and excellence that both grew out of the great evil that slavery represented and in spite of it, an evil that still afflicts the nation in 2026?

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

There’s also a reference to septicemia, which is writer-director Emerald Fennell’s perhaps too-technical stab at explaining the nonspecific Victorian disease that afflicts one character.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

In her early 40s, Lane was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, which afflicts between 25% and 40% of childhood polio survivors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2024

Now the elms are stricken with a disease that afflicts them throughout their range, a disease so serious that many experts believe all efforts to save the elms will in the end be futile.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

And unlike us mere mortals, they aren’t afflicted by pesky qualms about their reputation or career, or that queasy feeling in the gut produced by years of social conditioning against lying or ripping people off.

From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026

They interviewed 191 afflicted people, and found that 177 reported eating at Mexican-style restaurants including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba before their illness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

"If it's 35 degrees outside, it's over 40 degrees inside," said the 65-year-old, complaining that ageing residents were being afflicted with increasing headaches.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

For Christopher Schurtz, it’s also the best hope yet to close a wound that has afflicted his family for three generations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The malice and bad tempers from which other people had to take holidays never afflicted him.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Belt-tightening afflicting millions of households is having an impact, she noted.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

A return to industrial musicals in the age of A.I. didn’t strike me as a solution for all the woes afflicting the performing arts, from pricey tickets to the increasingly blatant corporatization of the arts.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Military officials have disputed that there are severe issues afflicting the ship, and some veterans have also suggested that the accounts in the media are overblown.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Meanwhile, Nieto has a plan if he identifies screwworm afflicting cattle on his southern Texas ranch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Any fears I had that some deeper trouble was afflicting the Ford were laid to rest when I tried the ignition and heard the engine come to life with a healthy murmur.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro


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