afflict

afflict (one) with (someone or something)

1. To cause one to contract an ailment or disease. A person's name or pronoun can appear before "with." My classroom has been almost empty all week because one kid afflicted the others with chicken pox. When you have a child in preschool, you'll be afflicted with every illness. It seems I've afflicted my husband with my cold.

2. To cause another person hardship or difficulty. When used in this sense, a noun or pronoun typically does not appear between "afflict" and "with." Once I finally recovered from my illness, I was afflicted with medical bills. You graduate from college, young and optimistic, and then you're promptly afflicted with student loan debt! Thanks so much for afflicting me with another massive filing project.

3. To force someone to spend time with an irritating person. A person's name or pronoun typically appears before "with." Please don't afflict me with your obnoxious brother this evening. How are we are going have any fun tonight if Mom afflicts us with Uncle Al? Keep moving, or else they'll afflict us with anyone they don't want to have to sit with.

See also: afflict

comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable

To provide aid or support to those in need, while prompting those in positions of power or luxury to act in more ethical ways. Adapted from the writing of humorist Finley Peter Dunne as the fictional character "Mr. Dooley." It is our professional duty as journalists to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable—by exposing the faults of the rich and powerful while acting as the voice of the impoverished and disenfranchised. I've always believed that the church should always strive to be comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. After all, "A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat." When I ran for office, I vowed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, and, today, I put forth a bill to substantially increase taxes on the wealthy and lower those on the poor.

See also: afflict, and, comfort, comfortable

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

afflict someone with someone

to burden someone with an annoying person. I was foolish enough to afflict myself with my young cousin for the weekend.

See also: afflict

afflict someone with something

 

1. Lit. to cause someone to suffer from a disease or disability. The virus has afflicted everyone in the valley.

2. Fig. to burden someone with trouble. We were afflicted with all the worry that comes with raising a teenager.

See also: afflict

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.