Question

afflict 【afflict】v.使痛苦There are many illnesses which aflict old people.老人为许多病症而痛苦。

Accepted Answer

[ə'flɪkt] 
afflictcause physical pain or suffering in
To afflict is to cause suffering, pain, or misery. It’s often associated with medical conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most likely to afflict someone who spends many hours every day typing on our computers.
We get afflict from the Latin word affligere, meaning “to strike down,” which is an old fashioned way of saying to get sick, or to have a condition of some kind. You could argue that chronic indecision was the main problem to afflict Hamlet, or that saying "um," "like," and "you know" are speech tics that afflict teens.
All forms of 'afflict' will appear on average once every 257 pages.afflictafflictedafflictionafflictive
CHOOSE RIGHT WORDS: AFFLICT-INFLICT
			
  Both afflict and inflict cause pain,  but afflict means to cause suffering or unhappiness, something a disease does, but inflict means to force pain or suffering, like if you smack someone upside  the head.
  If  something afflicts you, it hurts.  Cancer, death, arthritis, or even bad skin can afflict you. Afflict is  often, but not always, followed by the preposition with:

It's also quite likely that he was afflicted with an eating disorder. (Slate)
    
      He has never publicly revealed what type of cancer afflicted him. (New York Times)
    
      In the proud tradition of genuine watchdog  journalism, Khalil Bendib's work aims to comfort the afflicted and afflict the  comfortable. (Brunei Times)

Inflict is meaner. It's more aggressive  — it actively hurts and causes problems. A self-inflicted wound is when you hurt yourself. Inflict is often, but not always, followed by on:

Some participants in the debate said the rule could  unintentionally inflict economic harm on Africans. (Washington Post)
    
      Five other men accused of taking part in the fight  were convicted of hooliganism and inflicting light bodily injury. (Seattle Times)
    
      Most injuries are self-inflicted; they're not necessarily inflicted by others.  (New York Times)

The  difference between the two is whether the emphasis is on the one suffering or  the one causing the suffering. Afflict emphasizes who is doing the suffering. Inflict emphasizes the person or thing causing the suffering. Try this: I am afflicted with something terrible,  so I inflict injuries upon others.

Front	afflict
Pron	[ə'flɪkt]
Back	【afflict】v.使痛苦 There are many illnesses which aflict old people. 老人为许多病症而痛苦。
Vocab	afflictcause physical pain or suffering in To afflict is to cause suffering, pain, or misery. It’s often associated with medical conditions. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most likely to afflict someone who spends many hours every day typing on our computers. We get afflict from the Latin word affligere, meaning “to strike down,” which is an old fashioned way of saying to get sick, or to have a condition of some kind. You could argue that chronic indecision was the main problem to afflict Hamlet, or that saying "um," "like," and "you know" are speech tics that afflict teens. All forms of 'afflict' will appear on average once every 257 pages. afflict afflicted affliction afflictive CHOOSE RIGHT WORDS: AFFLICT-INFLICT Both afflict and inflict cause pain, but afflict means to cause suffering or unhappiness, something a disease does, but inflict means to force pain or suffering, like if you smack someone upside the head. If something afflicts you, it hurts. Cancer, death, arthritis, or even bad skin can afflict you. Afflict is often, but not always, followed by the preposition with: It's also quite likely that he was afflicted with an eating disorder. (Slate) He has never publicly revealed what type of cancer afflicted him. (New York Times) In the proud tradition of genuine watchdog journalism, Khalil Bendib's work aims to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. (Brunei Times) Inflict is meaner. It's more aggressive — it actively hurts and causes problems. A self-inflicted wound is when you hurt yourself. Inflict is often, but not always, followed by on: Some participants in the debate said the rule could unintentionally inflict economic harm on Africans. (Washington Post) Five other men accused of taking part in the fight were convicted of hooliganism and inflicting light bodily injury. (Seattle Times) Most injuries are self-inflicted; they're not necessarily inflicted by others. (New York Times) The difference between the two is whether the emphasis is on the one suffering or the one causing the suffering. Afflict emphasizes who is doing the suffering. Inflict emphasizes the person or thing causing the suffering. Try this: I am afflicted with something terrible, so I inflict injuries upon others.

Afflict Inflict Suffering Times Afflicted Inflicted Pain Means