afflicted

adjective
af·​flict·​ed | \ ə-ˈflik-təd How to pronounce afflicted (audio) \

Definition of afflicted

: grievously affected or troubled (as by a disease) : mentally or physically impaired … a pet spaniel, so thin as to appear afflicted— Osbert Sitwell Paul fell sick and must keep his bed; drink was the root of his malady, in my poor thought; but he was tended, and indeed carried himself, like an afflicted saint.— Robert Louis Stevenson providing comfort to the afflicted [=people who are ill, suffering, etc.]

Examples of afflicted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mealy bugs can be a real problem, not just for the afflicted plant but for neighboring, healthy houseplants. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "The sultry plant that will break your heart," 13 Aug. 2019 Making a compelling financial case to fight climate change and to help the most afflicted demands a rigorous accounting of its effects. Umair Irfan, Vox, "4 big takeaways from the UN’s alarming climate change report," 9 Oct. 2018 And that’s not the only heartening news for the afflicted transit agency: This week, Metro officials got word that the agency saw fewer incidents of crime in 2017 than in any year since 2005. Martine Powers, Washington Post, "Metro achieves safety milestone after deadly 2009 Red Line crash, logs lowest crime since 2005," 3 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'afflicted.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of afflicted

1534, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for afflicted

from past participle of afflict

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