affliction
noun
af·flic·tion ə-ˈflik-shən 
1
: a cause of persistent pain or distress
a mysterious affliction
2
: great suffering
felt empathy with their affliction
3
: the state of being afflicted by something that causes suffering
her affliction with polio
Synonyms
- agony
- anguish
- distress
- excruciation
- hurt
- misery
- pain
- rack
- strait(s)
- torment
- torture
- travail
- tribulation
- woe
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction. He died from a mysterious affliction.
Recent Examples on the Web Agoraphobia may be foreign to some people, but Efron's not the only celebrity who suffers from the affliction. 
Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2022 Inside the walls of these dim and deafening hangars, yoked to machines where she was condemned to repeat the same motions countless times, Weil discovered le malheur, or affliction. Robert Zaretsky, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2022 Some symptoms may appear to be COVID-related but may be caused by another affliction, Flynn said, and a person's physician can help sort through them. Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, 30 Aug. 2022 But new research on human remains from a friary buried below the University of Cambridge shows that the monks suffered greatly from a gastrointestinal affliction—worms. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2022 In the world of placenta pathology, a new affliction is unusual, especially one so dramatic in presentation and so devastating in effect. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2022 Many World War II veterans suffered from combat fatigue, long before post-traumatic stress disorder was diagnosed as an affliction in 1980. Fox News, 5 Aug. 2022 What is clear is that the town’s affliction is not only accepted but cherished. Suzanne Berne, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 In what way is erotic ardor an intellectual affliction? Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022 See More
Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2022 Inside the walls of these dim and deafening hangars, yoked to machines where she was condemned to repeat the same motions countless times, Weil discovered le malheur, or affliction. Robert Zaretsky, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2022 Some symptoms may appear to be COVID-related but may be caused by another affliction, Flynn said, and a person's physician can help sort through them. Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, 30 Aug. 2022 But new research on human remains from a friary buried below the University of Cambridge shows that the monks suffered greatly from a gastrointestinal affliction—worms. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2022 In the world of placenta pathology, a new affliction is unusual, especially one so dramatic in presentation and so devastating in effect. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2022 Many World War II veterans suffered from combat fatigue, long before post-traumatic stress disorder was diagnosed as an affliction in 1980. Fox News, 5 Aug. 2022 What is clear is that the town’s affliction is not only accepted but cherished. Suzanne Berne, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 In what way is erotic ardor an intellectual affliction? Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English affliccioun "misery, distress, self-inflicted pain," borrowed from Anglo-French afflicion, borrowed from Late Latin afflīctiōn-, afflīctiō, from Latin afflīgere "to afflict" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Kids Definition
affliction
noun
af·flic·tion ə-ˈflik-shən
1
: the state of being affected by something that causes pain or unhappiness
his affliction with polio
2
: something that causes pain or unhappiness
Chicken pox is an affliction caused by a virus.
affliction
noun
1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind she listened with deep affliction as her daughter told her about the latest trouble she was in Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- distress
- agony
- misery
- anguish
- pain
- discomfort
- torment
- tribulation
- torture
- woe
- sorrow
- excruciation
- travail
- hardship
- hurt
- sadness
- pang
- heartbreak
- difficulty
- trouble
- rack
- strait(s)
- unhappiness
- danger
- ache
- heartache
- emergency
- joylessness
- crucible
- cross
- trial
- soreness
- smarting
- jeopardy
- stitch
- asperity
- twinge
- rigor
- pinch
- throe
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- consolation
- relief
- alleviation
- solace
- comfort
- ease
- assuagement
- peace
- security
- well-being
2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved felt such great affliction over the destruction of the beautiful old home Synonyms & Similar Words
- sorrow
- anguish
- grief
- heartbreak
- agony
- suffering
- heartache
- sorrowfulness
- pain
- woe
- distress
- guilt
- misery
- dolor
- melancholy
- distress
- remorse
- torment
- despair
- depression
- sorriness
- oppression
- shame
- unhappiness
- wretchedness
- dejection
- heartsickness
- joylessness
- regret
- gloominess
- dolefulness
- gloom
- glumness
- blues
- miserableness
- dreariness
- melancholia
- forlornness
- despondence
- desolateness
- despondency
- downheartedness
- contrition
- desolation
- blue devils
- doldrums
- woefulness
- self-reproach
- disconsolateness
- dumps
- rue
- mopes
- dispiritedness
- self-pity
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- joy
- cheerfulness
- ecstasy
- rapture
- exultation
- pleasure
- happiness
- bliss
- delight
- felicity
- blessedness
- gladness
- glee
- elation
- mirth
- joyfulness
- joyousness
- exuberance
- euphoria
- cheeriness
- jubilation
- exhilaration
- gayety
- gayness
- humor
- cheer
- gaiety
- merrymaking
- blissfulness
- gleefulness
- merriment
- optimism
- joviality
- jollity
- mirthfulness
- enjoyment
- lightheartedness
- hopefulness
- elatedness
- rapturousness
- contentment
- content
- sunniness
- gladsomeness
- contentedness
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune alcohol has been his affliction ever since he took his first drink at the age of 12 Synonyms & Similar Words
- curse
- nemesis
- bane
- threat
- scourge
- menace
- danger
- hazard
- risk
- peril
- trouble
- jinx
- pitfall
- hex
- snag
- hoodoo
- catch
- booby trap
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- benefit
- relief
- assistance
- blessing
- aid
- advantage
- support
- gift
- good
- help
- comfort
- felicity
- joy
- boon
- windfall
- pleasure
- godsend
- consolation
- protection
- solace
- delight
- manna
- safety
- defense
- security
- shield
- armor
- guard
- safeguard
4
as in demon
a source of persistent emotional distress suffered from afflictions that only a professional therapist could deal with Synonyms & Similar Words
- demon
- torment
- terror
- hang-up
- bête noire
- daemon
- bugaboo
- bugbear
- ogre
- bogy
- bogey
- bogie
- hobgoblin
5
as in injury
something that causes loss or pain cronyism and corruption are afflictions on the body politic Synonyms & Similar Words
- injury
- damage
- harm
- detriment
- hurt
- injustice
- disability
- crippling
- indignity
- impairment
- disfigurement
- insult
- affront
- mayhem
- mutilation
- outrage
- wrong
- lesion
- disablement
- swelling
- wound
- disservice
- dart
- abrasion
- beating
- offence
- rupture
- strain
- offense
- contusion
- defacement
- bruise
- scar
- chafe
- burn
- scald
- scathe
- laceration
- gash
- concussion
- sear
- scratch
- boo-boo
- bump
- scrape
- cut
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- recovery
- healing
- cure
- remedy
- fix
- dismisser
- dismissers
- dismisses
- dismissing
- dismissingly
- dismission
- dismissions
- dismissive
- dismissively
- dismissiveness
- dismoded
- dismount
- dismountable
- dismounted
- dismounting
- dismounts
- dismutations
- dismutative
- disna
- disnaturalise
- disnaturalised
- disnaturalises
- disnaturalising
- disnaturalized
- disnaturalizes