affliction

I

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. suffering, pain, distress, trouble, misfortune, tribulation, trial, hardship, adversity, misery, wretchedness, calamity, catastrophe, disaster, ailment, infirmity, sickness, disease, disorder, grief, woe, sorrow, care, unhappiness, heartache, cross, cross to bear, ordeal, torment, scourge, plight, difficulty, burden, curse, bane, visitation, tsoris*; see also difficulty 1 , 2 , pain 1 , 2 .

Syn.- affliction implies pain, suffering, or distress imposed by illness, loss, misfortune, etc.; trial suggests suffering that tries one's endurance, but in a weaker sense refers to annoyance that tries one's patience; tribulation connotes severe affliction continuing over a long and trying period; misfortune is applied to a circumstance or event involving adverse fortune or to the suffering or distress occasioned by it

II

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

hardship, pain, trouble, illness, suffering, burden, plague, curse, handicap, scourge, *cross to bear, torment, torture, misfortune, adversity, calamity.

ANT.: blessing, godsend, gift

III

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. A state of physical or mental suffering: agony, anguish, distress, hurt, misery, pain, torment, torture, woe, wound, wretchedness. See HAPPY. 2. The condition of being sick: disorder, illness, indisposition, infirmity, sickness. See HEALTH. 3. Something hard to bear physically or emotionally: burden1, cross, trial, tribulation. See HEAVY, OVER. 4. A cause of suffering or harm: bane, curse, evil, ill, plague, scourge, woe. See HELP.