To afflict means to cause pain, suffering, or trouble to someone or something. When a disease afflicts a person, it makes them sick. When drought afflicts a region, it causes hardship for everyone living there. The word carries a sense of ongoing difficulty rather than a quick moment of pain.

You might read that famine afflicted a country, meaning widespread hunger caused serious suffering over time. A student might be afflicted with terrible allergies every spring, dealing with sneezing and itchy eyes for weeks. An old injury might continue to afflict an athlete years later, causing recurring pain.

The word suggests something burdensome that weighs on someone. While hurt describes causing pain in general, afflict implies deeper or more persistent suffering. When something afflicts you, it doesn't just bother you briefly. It creates real hardship or distress that affects your life.

People sometimes use affliction as a noun to describe the source of suffering itself. A character in a story might struggle with an affliction that makes their journey more difficult.