What does afflict mean?
To afflict is to cause sustained pain, suffering, or distress — whether of the body, the mind, or the circumstances of a person or community. Unlike a single blow, affliction implies an ongoing burden: a chronic illness afflicts a patient, famine afflicts a region, grief afflicts the bereaved. The word is most often met in formal writing, journalism, and religious or literary texts, frequently in the passive form 'afflicted with' or 'afflicted by', which frames the sufferer as the recipient of misfortune rather than its agent. It should not be confused with inflict, which describes deliberately imposing something harmful; afflict emphasizes enduring suffering rather than the act of striking. Derived forms include the noun affliction (a state of pain or distress), the adjective afflictive, and the collective noun 'the afflicted'. Rooted in Latin fligere, 'to strike down', the word has carried connotations of hardship since it entered English in the late Middle Ages, making it a precise and evocative choice for describing prolonged suffering.
verbTo cause pain, suffering, or distress to someone or something, whether physically or mentally.
- To cause physical or mental suffering or distress to a person, group, or thing.
"The drought afflicted the region's farmers for three consecutive years."
"The economic crisis afflicted millions of families across the country."
"She was afflicted by chronic migraines that made daily life unbearable."
Afflict and inflict come from the same Latin root meaning 'to strike' — one strikes down upon you, the other beats you down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of afflict
Afflict derives from the Latin verb fligere (also written as fligere in some sources), meaning 'to strike down' or 'to dash against', formed from the prefix ad- ('toward') combined with fligere. It entered English in the late Middle English period, around the fourteenth century, initially carrying strong religious connotations of divinely permitted suffering before broadening to cover any cause of prolonged distress. It shares this Latin root with inflict, conflict, and profligate, all of which preserve the underlying sense of striking or driving force.
Related word forms
How afflict is actually used
Afflict is typically used in formal or literary contexts and carries a strongly negative connotation. It often appears in the passive construction 'be afflicted with/by' to describe someone suffering from an illness, hardship, or misfortune. The noun form 'the afflicted' refers collectively to those who suffer.
Easily confused with afflict
Inflict means to impose something harmful (such as a punishment or injury) upon someone, while afflict means to cause ongoing suffering or distress to them.