affliction.

A serious trouble, condition, or burden that causes sustained suffering.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• chronic affliction
• endure affliction

On the page

The story gives the family an affliction no easy remedy can remove.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Countable or uncountable by context; countable singular affliction; plural afflictions. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.