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Added 9 October 2026

afflict

/əˈflɪkt/ verb

In Latin: afflīgō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about afflict at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Cause great unhappiness for; distress.
she was afflicted by the death of her parents
Cause physical pain or suffering in.
afflict with the plague

Origin

From Middle English afflicten (attested in past participle afflicte), from Latin afflīctō (“to damage, harass, torment”), from ad- + flīctus, past participle of afflīgō (“strike, beat”), from ad- + flīgō (“strike”) (whence af-).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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