affliction


Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

af·flic·tion

 (ə-flĭk′shən)
n.
1. A condition of pain, suffering, or distress: the affliction of arthritis. See Synonyms at trial.
2. A cause of pain, suffering, or distress: "The mount twists wind and weather to alter them into afflictions as a heartless monarch does laws" (William Least Heat-Moon). See Synonyms at burden.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

affliction

(əˈflɪkʃən)
n
1. a condition of great distress, pain, or suffering
2. something responsible for physical or mental suffering, such as a disease, grief, etc
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

af•flic•tion

(əˈflɪk ʃən)

n.
1. a distressed or painful state; misery.
2. a cause of mental or bodily pain.
[1300–50; Middle English < Latin]
af•flic′tive, adj.
af•flic′tive•ly, adv.
syn: See misfortune.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.affliction - a state of great suffering and distress due to adversityaffliction - a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity
adversity, hard knocks, hardship - a state of misfortune or affliction; "debt-ridden farmers struggling with adversity"; "a life of hardship"
crown of thorns, cross - any affliction that causes great suffering; "that is his cross to bear"; "he bears his afflictions like a crown of thorns"
2.affliction - a condition of suffering or distress due to ill healthaffliction - a condition of suffering or distress due to ill health
health problem, ill health, unhealthiness - a state in which you are unable to function normally and without pain
deformity, malformation, misshapenness - an affliction in which some part of the body is misshapen or malformed
3.affliction - a cause of great suffering and distress
trouble - an event causing distress or pain; "what is the trouble?"; "heart trouble"
calvary, martyrdom - any experience that causes intense suffering
tribulation, visitation, trial - an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event; "his mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him"; "life is full of tribulations"; "a visitation of the plague"
curse, torment - a severe affliction
attack - a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea"
bane, nemesis, scourge, curse - something causing misery or death; "the bane of my life"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

affliction

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

affliction

noun
1. A state of physical or mental suffering:
2. The condition of being sick:
3. Something hard to bear physically or emotionally:
4. A cause of suffering or harm:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بَلْوى، مِحْنَة، مَرَض، ألَم
neštěstíutrpení
plage
kärsimystuska
szenvedés
raun, òjáning, ógæfa

affliction

[əˈflɪkʃən] N
1. (= suffering) → aflicción f, congoja f
2. (bodily) → mal m
the afflictions of old agelos achaques de la vejez
3. (= misfortune) → desgracia f, infortunio m
it's a terrible afflictiones una desgracia tremenda
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

affliction

[əˈflɪkʃən] naffliction f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

affliction

n
(= distress)Not f, → Bedrängnis f; (= pain)Leiden pl, → Schmerzen pl
(= cause of suffering, blindness etc) → Gebrechen nt; (illness) → Beschwerde f; (worry) → Sorge f; the afflictions of old ageAltersbeschwerden pl; the government is itself the nation’s greatest afflictiondie Regierung ist selbst die größte Last für das Volk
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

affliction

[əˈflɪkʃn] n (suffering) → afflizione f, sofferenza; (bodily) → infermità f inv
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

afflict

(əˈflikt) verb
to give pain or distress to (a person etc). She is continually afflicted by/with headaches.
afˈfliction (-ʃən) noun
Her deafness is a great affliction to her.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

affliction

n. aflicción, padecimiento, sufrimiento.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

affliction

n aflicción f, mal m, padecimiento
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
"Ah, what ter'ble affliction is dis," continued she.
When from dark error's subjugation My words of passionate exhortation Had wrenched thy fainting spirit free; And writhing prone in thine affliction Thou didst recall with malediction The vice that had encompassed thee: And when thy slumbering conscience, fretting By recollection's torturing flame, Thou didst reveal the hideous setting Of thy life's current ere I came: When suddenly I saw thee sicken, And weeping, hide thine anguished face, Revolted, maddened, horror-stricken, At memories of foul disgrace.
She walked with a slow glide in unconscious imitation of Mademoiselle Tavie whom some youthful affliction had robbed of earthly compensation while leaving her in possession of youth's illusions.
Down his cheeks there were coursing tears--though less through grief than owing to a long-standing affliction of the eyes.
"My liege," said the Inventor-in-Ordinary of Ingenious Penalties, "I venture to suggest a keener affliction.
Dashwood remained at Norland several months; not from any disinclination to move when the sight of every well known spot ceased to raise the violent emotion which it produced for a while; for when her spirits began to revive, and her mind became capable of some other exertion than that of heightening its affliction by melancholy remembrances, she was impatient to be gone, and indefatigable in her inquiries for a suitable dwelling in the neighbourhood of Norland; for to remove far from that beloved spot was impossible.
And I wonder, Richard, you can think of bothering your head about our POVERTY in case of your death; as if THAT would be anything compared with the calamity of losing you--an affliction that you well know would swallow up all others, and which you ought to do your utmost to preserve us from: and there is nothing like a cheerful mind for keeping the body in health.'
Heavily the thunder-clouds of Affliction had gathered over the house -- heavily, but not at their darkest yet.
Thus passes the Abyssinian winter, a dreadful season, in which the whole kingdom languishes with numberless diseases, an affliction which, however grievous, is yet equalled by the clouds of grasshoppers, which fly in such numbers from the desert, that the sun is hid and the sky darkened; whenever this plague appears, nothing is seen through the whole region but the most ghastly consternation, or heard but the most piercing lamentations, for wherever they fall, that unhappy place is laid waste and ruined; they leave not one blade of grass, nor any hopes of a harvest.
Out of thy poisons brewedst thou balsam for thyself; thy cow, affliction, milkedst thou--now drinketh thou the sweet milk of her udder.
'it is many years ago, and affliction makes the time longer, but you have not forgotten her whose death contributed to make this child so dear to you, even before you knew her worth or could read her heart?
Altho' I cannot agree with you in supposing that I shall never again be exposed to Misfortunes as unmerited as those I have already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of Obstinacy or ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of your daughter; and may the fortitude with which I have suffered the many afflictions of my past Life, prove to her a useful lesson for the support of those which may befall her in her own.