afflict

Meaning

1. To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
2. (obsolete) To strike or cast down; to overthrow.
3. (obsolete) To make low or humble.

Synonyms

distress

torment

trouble

grieve

worry

harass

hurt

vex

annoy

bother

smite

aggrieve

oppress

cause pain

pain

harry

plague

sadden

torture

pester

beset

try

inflict

affect

cause pain to

give pain

agonize

persecute

gripe

press

hassle

molest

ail

tease

blight

curse

disturb

strain

blackguard

harrow

rack

bedevil

mortify

nag

niggle

obsess

offend

outrage

overtake

pinch

press down

quiz

rankle

reach

ruin

scourge

shock

⚡

slight

smart

strike

strive

suffer

tantalise

tantalize

test

tire

tribulate

try out

weary

😩

weigh

give pain to

make ill

prey on

tyrannize over

annoy by pushing or shaking

be grieved over

anquish

stress

cause suffering

press heavily

eat on

make to suffer

affront

aim

anger

💢

anguish

assail

assault

attack

👊

attempt

bait

beleaguer

bullyrag

burden

catch

catch up with

chagrin

clasp

compress

desolate

devil

discommode

dun

eat

🍽️

encroach

endeavour

essay

examine

excruciate

exert

ferret

find

🔍

flay

fret

gall

get

get to

infest

injure

knead

lacerate

load

mob

Hyphenated as

af‧flict

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈflɪkt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: afflicten

In summary

From Middle English afflicten (attested in past participle afflicte), from Latin afflictāre (“to damage, harass, torment”), frequentative of affligere (“to dash down, overthrow”).