AFFLICT

afflict, smite

(verb) cause physical pain or suffering in; “afflict with the plague”

afflict

(verb) cause great unhappiness for; distress; “she was afflicted by the death of her parents”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

afflict (third-person singular simple present afflicts, present participle afflicting, simple past and past participle afflicted)

(transitive) To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.

(obsolete) To strike or cast down; to overthrow.

(obsolete) To make low or humble.

Source: Wiktionary


Af*flict", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Afflicted; p. pr. & vb. n. Afflicting.] Etym: [L. afflictus, p. p. of affigere to cast down, deject; ad + fligere to strike: cf. OF. aflit, afflict, p. p. Cf. Flagellate.]

1. To strike or cast down; to overthrow. [Obs.] "Reassembling our afflicted powers." Milton.

2. To inflict some great injury or hurt upon, causing continued pain or mental distress; to trouble grievously; to torment. They did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. Exod. i. 11. That which was the worst now least afflicts me. Milton.

3. To make low or humble. [Obs.] Spenser. Men are apt to prefer a prosperous error before an afflicted truth. Jer. Taylor.

Syn.

– To trouble; grieve; pain; distress; harass; torment; wound; hurt.

Af*flict", p. p. & a. Etym: [L. afflictus, p. p.]

Definition: Afflicted. [Obs.] Becon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

22 January 2025

MEGALITH

(noun) memorial consisting of a very large stone forming part of a prehistoric structure (especially in western Europe)


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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