The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
the South was afflicted by a severe drought
Recent Examples on the WebShare [Findings] A fungal parasite that afflicts the reproductive organs of millipedes was named in honor of Twitter.—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 24 Apr. 2024 Though poverty, mental health issues and addiction often afflict homeless people, the lack of affordable housing is the biggest factor in driving up the overall homelessness rate, according to specialists and research.—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for afflict
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afflict.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English afflihten "to excite, become distressed," probably verbal derivative of affliht, aflyght "disturbed, upset," borrowed from Latin afflīctus, past participle of afflīgere "to knock or strike down, ruin, distress severely," from ad-ad- + flīgere "to strike down" — more at profligate entry 1
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