Afflict

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: af=flict

CIDE DICTIONARY

Afflict, v. t. [L. afflictus, p. p. of affigere to cast down, deject; ad + fligere to strike: cf. OF. aflit, afflict, p. p. Cf. Flagellate.].

•  To strike or cast down; to overthrow.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To inflict some great injury or hurt upon, causing continued pain or mental distress; to trouble grievously; to torment.  [1913 Webster]

  "They did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens."  [1913 Webster]

  "That which was the worst now least afflicts me."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make low or humble.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

  "Men are apt to prefer a prosperous error before an afflicted truth."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To trouble; grieve; pain; distress; harass; torment; wound; hurt.

Afflict, p. p. & a. [L. afflictus, p. p.].

 Afflicted.  Becon.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Afflict, v.tr. inflict bodily or mental suffering on.

Idiom

afflicted with suffering from.

Derivative

afflictive adj.

Etymology

ME f. L afflictare, or afflict- past part. stem of affligere (as AD-, fligere flict- dash)

THESAURUS

Afflict

abuse, affect, aggrieve, agitate, agonize, ail, anguish, annoy, befoul, bewitch, bite, blight, bother, break down, bring to tears, burden, burn, chafe, condemn, convulse, corrupt, crucify, crush, curse, cut, cut up, damage, debilitate, defile, deprave, derange, desolate, despoil, destroy, devitalize, disable, disadvantage, discomfort, disorder, disquiet, disserve, distress, disturb, do a mischief, do evil, do ill, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, draw tears, embitter, enervate, enfeeble, envenom, excruciate, fester, fret, gall, get into trouble, give pain, gnaw, grate, grieve, grind, gripe, harass, harm, harrow, harry, hex, hospitalize, hurt, impair, incapacitate, indispose, infect, inflame, inflict pain, injure, inundate, invalid, irk, irritate, jinx, kill by inches, lacerate, lay up, load with care, maltreat, martyr, martyrize, menace, mistreat, molest, nip, oppress, outrage, overwhelm, pain, persecute, perturb, pester, pierce, pinch, plague, play havoc with, play hob with, poison, pollute, prejudice, press, prick, prolong the agony, prostrate, put to it, put to torture, rack, rankle, rasp, reduce, rub, savage, scathe, sicken, smite, sorrow, stab, sting, strike, taint, threaten, torment, torture, trouble, try, tweak, twist, upset, vex, violate, weaken, worry, wound, wreak havoc on, wring, wrong

ROGET THESAURUS

Afflict

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.