The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
the South was afflicted by a severe drought
Recent Examples on the WebSecurity concerns also afflict aid from U.S. pier project
The U.S. installed a pier off Gaza’s coast last month, aiming to provide an additional route for aid to enter Gaza.—Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2024 Some form of drought is afflicting nearly 90% of Mexico, the highest rate since 2011, according to government data.—Reuters, CNN, 10 June 2024 In response, her social media was flooded with harassment from people who felt this was a rebuke of Israel, whose attacks are responsible for the dire conditions currently afflicting residents in Gaza.—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 June 2024 Loading your audio article SAN JOSE — An empty San Jose office building has been seized by its lender in a disquieting reminder of the financial maladies afflicting the Bay Area office market.—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 28 May 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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