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af·flict

(ə-flĭkt)

tr.v. af·flict·ed, af·flict·ing, af·flicts

To cause grievous physical or mental suffering to.

[Middle English afflighten, from afflight, disturbed, frightened, from Latin afflīctum, past participle of afflīgere, to cast down : ad-, ad- + flīgere, to strike.]

af·flicter n.

af·flictive adj.

af·flictive·ly adv.

Synonyms: afflict, agonize, rack¹, torment, torture
These verbs mean to bring great harm or suffering to someone: afflicted with severe arthritis; agonized to see her suffering; racked with guilt; tormented by migraine headaches; tortured by painful memories.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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