afflict 
There is no community free from a multitude of croak- 
ers and alarmists. . . . who afflict the patience and con- 
science of all good Christians within the reach of their 
influence. \Vltii>]>li', Kss. and Kev., II. 118. 
The afflicted voice of the country, in its hour of dancer, 
has charmed down with a sweet persuasion the angry 
passions of the day. Kr, ,-,'tl. Orations, I. :iTl). 
= Syn. Ai!li<'t, Dittf: 1 **, Ttnl>le, Harass, Toritii-nt ; try, 
pain, hurt, plague, persecute. Of these words, afflict im- 
plies the most spiritual effect, the greatest depth and con- 
tinuance of sorrow. To (tixtiw is a more outward act, 
In infill!,' oue into straituess of circumstances or feeling, so 
that there is more anxiety for the future, while perhaps 
the atlUft"! person knows the full measure of his loss and 
is wholly occupied with the past. To trouble is a lighter 
act, involving perhaps confusion or uncertainty of mind, 
and especially embarrassment, llui'rux, as applied to mind 
or I'ody, suggests the infliction of the weariness that comes 
from the continuance or repetition of trying experiences, 
so that there is not time for rest. Torment implies the 
infliction of acute pain, physical or mental, and is fre- 
quently used in the sense of hariniiiuj by frequent return. 
The use of afflicted otherwise than of persons severally or 
collectively is highly figurative or poetic : as, my afflicted 
fortunes ; the other words have freer figurative use. See 
affliction. 
O ye afflicted ones who lie 
Steeped to the lips in misery. 
Longfellow, Goblet of Life. 
I come to visit the afflicted spirits 
Here in the prison. Shak., M. for M., ii. 3. 
Myself distresfi'd, an exile, and unknown, 
Deharr'd from Europe, and from Asia thrown, 
In Libyan deserts wander thus alone. 
Dryden, Mueid, i. 531. 
For my own part I should be very much troubled were I 
endowed with this divining quality. 
Addison, Spectator, No. 7. 
Nature, oppress'd and harass'd out with care, 
Sinks down to rest. Addison, Cato, v. 1. 
The sight of any of the house of York 
Is as a fury to torment my soul. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., i. 3. 
afflictt (a-flikf), p. a. [In earlier form aflight, 
q. v. ; < ti. afflictus, adflictus, pp. : see the verb.] 
Afflicted; distressed. 
afflictt, . [< afflict, v.] Conflict; struggle. 
The life of man upon earth is nothing else than a "war- 
fare " and continual afflict with her ghostly enemies. 
Becon, Fasting (ed. 1844), p. 542. (N. E. D.) 
afflictedness (a-flik'ted-nes), n. The state of 
being afflicted; affliction. 
Thou art deceived if thou thinkest that God delights in 
the afflictedness of his creatures. 
Bf. Hall, Balm of Gilead, ii. 6. 
afflicter (a-flik'ter), n. One who afflicts or 
causes pain of body or of mind. 
afflictingly (a-flik'ting-li), adv. In an afflicting 
manner. 
affliction (a-flik'shon), n. [< ME. affliccioun, 
-tyon, < OF. aJKction, < L. afflictio(n-}, adflic- 
tio(n-),( affligere, adfligere : see afflict.'] 1. The 
state of being afflicted; a state of pain, dis- 
tress, or grief. 
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. 
Jas. i. 27. 
He kindly tooke us all by the hand, and made signes 
that he should see us no more, which made us take our 
leave of him with extreame reluctancy and affliction for 
the accident. Evelyn, Diary, March 23, 1646. 
2. A cause of continued pain of body or mind, 
as sickness, loss, calamity, adversity, persecu- 
tion, etc. 
Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Ps. xxxiv. 19. 
= Syn. 1. Affliction, Grief, Sorrow, Sadness, Distress, Mis- 
ery, Wretchedness, pain. Affliction is acute, continued 
suffering caused by loss or its consequences. That is an 
affliction which is a severe deprivation or loss, as of health, 
limbs, faculties, friends, or the property necessary to one's 
support ; not temporary ailments, nor losses easily borne 
or repaired. Grief is mental suffering top violent to be 
long continued, and therefore subsiding into sorrow or 
sadiiexs ; it is always in view of something recently past. 
Affliction is a personal matter ; grief may be over another's 
woe. Sorrow, though more quiet, may be long continued 
or permanent (as, a lifelong sorrow), and may be in view 
of the past, present, or future ; it may be active peni- 
tence for wrong-doing as sorrow for sin, or it may be 
wholly sympathetic. Sadness is a feeling of dejection or 
inability to be cheerful, the cause being not always a 
matter of consciousness ; it is primarily personal, and is 
of various degrees of depth and permanence. Distress is 
extreme adversity, and, subjectively, the corresponding 
state of mind ; it is the agitation appropriate to circum- 
stances well-nigh desperate. It may he wholly sympa- 
thetic, as the distress caused by calamity to another, and 
it may imply a struggle. The first five words may be 
freely used for either cause or effect ; misrni and n-retc/ted- 
ness denote generally only the effect, that' is, the state of 
feeling. Misery is great and unremitting pain of body or 
mind, unhappiness that crushes the spirit. \Vrrtche.ilnem 
is sometimes almost identical with misery, and sometimes 
goes beyond it, even to abjectness. See calautiti/. 
The furnace of affliction refines us from earthly drossi- 
ness, and softens us for the impression of (iod's own 
stamp. llni/li: 
Indeed the violence and, impression of an excessive 
'///,;/' must of necessity astonish the soul, and wholly de- 
prive her of her ordinary functions. 
Cotton, tr. of Montaigne (3d ed.), ii. 
101 
A feeling of sadness and longing, 
That is not akin to pain, 
And resembles somite only 
As the mist resembles the rain. 
Lmgfdlow, The Day is Done. 
Great distress has never hitherto taught, and while the 
world lasts it never will teach, wise lessons to any part of 
mankind. Burke, Letter to Memb. of Nat. Assembly. 
The state of one who really wishes for death is firmly 
linked in our thoughts with the extreme of misery and 
U'retched/n-ss anil disease. H'. K. Clifford, Lectures, I. 229. 
2. Trouble, misfortune, disaster, visitation, blow, trial, 
woe. tribulation. See list under yrwf. 
afflictive (a-flik'tiv), . [=F. afflictif, < ML. 
afflictions, <. L. afflictus, pp. of affligere : see 
afflict, .] Characterized by or causing mental 
or physical pain ; painful ; distressing ; of the 
nature of an affliction: as, an afflictive dis- 
pensation of Providence. 
We consider with the most afflictive anguish the pain 
which we have given and now cannot alleviate. 
Johnson, Rambler, No. 54. 
Many that want food and clothing have cheerier lives 
and brighter prospects than she had ; many, harassed by 
poverty, are in a strait less afflictive. 
Charlotte Bronte, Shirley, xiii. 
= Syn. Afflicting, grievous, calamitous, disastrous, oppres- 
sive, severe, unhappy, trying. 
afflictively (a-flik'tiv-li), adv. In an afflictive 
manner ; in a manner that is painful and trying. 
affluence (af'16-ens), . [=F. affluence, < L. 
affluentia, adfluentia, abundance, < affluen(t-)s, 
adfluen (t-)s, ppr. , abundant : see affluen t.] 1 . A 
flowing to; a concourse; afflux. 
There had been great affluence of company. 
Carlyle, Frederick the Great, III. viii. 37. 
2. Figuratively, an abundant supply, as of 
thoughts, words, etc. ; a profusion, as of riches; 
hence, abundance of material goods ; wealth. 
Few scholars have manifested so much independence 
and affluence of thought, in connection with so rich and 
varied an amount of knowledge. 
Whipple, Ess. and Rev., I. 17. 
Many old and honourable families disappeared, . . . 
and many new men rose rapidly to affluence. 
Macaulay, Hist. Eng., i. 
= Syn. 2. Wealth, Riches, etc. (see opulence) ; exuberance, 
profusion, overflow ; fortune, prosperity, ample means. 
See list under abundance. 
affluency (af '16-en-si), n. An abundant flow or 
supply; affluence. [Rare.] 
There may be certain channels running from the head 
to this little instrument of loquacity [a woman's tongue], 
and conveying into it a perpetual affluency of animal 
spirits. Addison, Spectator, No. 247. 
affluent (af'lo-ent), a. and n. [< ME. affluent, 
< OF. affluent, mod. F. affluent, < L. affluen(t-)s, 
adfluen(t-)s, abundant, rich, ppr. of affluere, 
adfluere, flow to, abound in, < ad, to, + fluere, 
flow: see fluent.] I. a. If. Flowing to: as, 
"affluent blood," Harvey, Consumption. 2. 
Abundant; copious; abounding in anything, 
as attributes, attainments, or possessions; 
hence, specifically, abounding in means ; rich : 
as, a man of affluent intellect ; an affluent man 
or community ; affluent circumstances. 
His imagination is most affluent when it is pervaded by 
a calm, yet intense and lofty spirit of meditation. 
Whipple, Ess. and Rev., I. 249. 
II. n. A tributary stream ; a stream or river 
flowing into another, or into a lake, bay, etc. 
He cast anchor in a very great bay, with many affluents. 
Bancroft, Hist. I!. S., I. 108. 
As the Thames rolls along, it receives a number of these 
feeders, or affluents, which empty themselves into the 
river. Huxley, Physiog., p. 4. 
affluently (af'lo-ent-li), adv. In an affluent 
manner ; in abundance ; abundantly. 
affluentness (af'lo-ent-nes), n. The state of 
being affluent ; great plenty. 
afflux (af'luks), n. [=F. afflux, < L. as if */- 
fluxus, n. (cf. flux, < fluxus, n.), < affluere, pp. 
affluxus, flow to : see affluent.] The act of flow- 
ing to ; a flow or flowing to ; an accession : as, 
an afflux of blood to the head. 
Not unfrequently it happens that to a spot where two 
or more filaments have met, there is an afflux of the pro- 
toplasmic substance. W. B. Carpenter, Micros., 395. 
affluxion (a-fluk'shou), . [< L. as if "afflux- 
io(n-) (cf. fluxion), < affluere, flow to: see af- 
fluent.] A flowing to or toward ; an afflux or 
accession. Sir T. -Browne. 
affodillt (af 'o-dil), n. Obsolete form of daffodil. 
afforage (af 'or-aj), n. [< OF. afforage, affeurage, 
< afforer, affcrer, affeurer, afeurer, assess, value, 
affeer: see affeer.] Formerly, in France, a 
duty paid to the lord of a district for permis- 
sion to sell wine or liquors within his seigniory. 
afforcet fa-Mrs'), v. t. [< ME. aforeen, afor- 
Hi'it. < OP. dforcer, < ML. *affortiare, afforciare. 
sf rragthen, fortify (cf. afforeement) ; mixed 
with OF. efforcer, enforcer, < ML. exfortiare, 
afforestment 
force, compel ; < L. ad, to, or ex, out, + ML. 
fortiare, strengthen: see Jbreei.] 1. To force ; 
compel; violate. 2. To strengthen or rein- 
force by the addition of other or of specially 
skilled members, as juries and deliberative 
bodies. 
The remedy for insufficient "governance" was sought 
... in admitting the houses of Parliament to a greater 
share of influence in executive matters, in the a/<n'<-ih<! nr 
amending of the council, and in the passing of reforming 
statutes. Stubbs, Const. Hist., 695. 
3. Reflexively, to exert one's self ; endeavor ; 
attempt. 
afforcementt (a-fors'ment), n. [< OF. afforce- 
iiiciit,<.afforcei; a/brcw/strengthen : see afforce 
and-ment.] 1. A reinforcement ; a strengthen- 
ing, especially of a jury or deliberative body. 
See extract. 
As it became difficult to find juries personally informed 
as to the points at issue, the jurors . . . summoned were 
allowed first to add to their number persons who possessed 
the requisite knowledge, under the title of a/orcement. 
After this proceeding had been some time in use, the af- 
forcing jurors were separated from the uninformed jurors, 
and relieved them altogether from their character of wit- 
nesses. Stubbs, Const. Hist., 164. 
2. A fortress ; a fortification. Bailey. 
afford (a-ford'), v. t. [Spelled aff- as if of L. 
origin, but prop, with one/; early mod. E. af- 
ford, affoard, affoord, afoord, < ME. aforthen, 
iforthen, wortJien, earlier iforthien, geforthian, 
< AS. (/efortltian, further, advance, promote, 
accomplish, perform, < ge- + forthian, further, 
advance, promote, perform, (forth, forth, for- 
ward : see a- 6 , ge-, and/ort/t; cf. further, v.] 
If. To promote; further; forward; carry out; 
accomplish ; achieve ; manage. 
And here and there as that my litille wit 
Aforthe may, eek think I translate hit. 
Occleve. (Halliwell.) 
2. To give, yield, produce, or confer upon; 
yield, furnish, supply, as an effect or a result, 
as of growth, effort, or operation : as, the earth 
affords grain ; trade affords profit ; religion af- 
fords consolation to the afflicted ; the transac- 
tion afforded him a good profit ; to afford one an 
agreeable sensation. 
What could be less than to afford him praise ? 
Milton, P. L., iv. 46. 
Standing out in strong relief from the contrast a/orded 
by the sable background was a waxen image. 
Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 145. 
The delight which a work of art afords seems to arise 
from our recognizing in it the mind that formed Nature, 
again in active operation. Emerson, Art. 
3. To manage, be able, or have the means (with 
an infinitive clause) ; be able to give or bear, 
spare, or meet the expense of (with an object- 
noun) : always, from the implication of ability, 
with may or can : as, we can afford to sell 
cheap ; he might afford to gratify us ; you can 
well afford the expense. 
Only this commendation I can afford her. 
Shak., Much Ado, i. 1. 
Thou shalt lie close hid with nature, and canst not be 
afforded to the Capitol or the Exchange. 
Emerson, The Poet. 
A man is rich in proportion to the number of things 
which he can afford to let alone. Thoreau, Walden, p. 89. 
= Syn. 2. To supply, furnish, bestow, communicate, give, 
impart. 
affordable (a-for'da-bl), a. [< afford + -able.] 
Capable of being afforded, spared, yielded, or 
borne. 
affordmentt (a-fprd'ment), n. [< afford + 
-ment.] A donation ; a grant. [Bare.] 
Your forward helps and a/brdments. 
H. Lord, Ded. of Sect of the Banians, 1630. 
afforest (a-for'est), v. t. [< ML. afforestare, 
convert into a forest, < L. ad, to, + ML. foresta, 
a forest : see forest.] To convert, as bare or 
cultivated land, into forest, as was done by 
the first Norman kings in England, for the pur- 
pose of providing themselves with hunting- 
grounds. 
afforestation (a-for-es-ta'shon), n. [< ML. af- 
forestatio(n-), < afforestare : see afforest.] The 
act of turning ground into forest or woodland, 
or subjecting it to forest law ; the territory af- 
forested. 
Richard I. and Henry II. ... had made new aforeita- 
lions, and much extended the rigour of the forest laws. 
Sir M. Hale, Hist. Com. Law of Eng. 
afforestment (a-for'est-ment), n. [< afforest 
+ -ment.] The act of converting, as arable 
land, into a forest ; afforestation. 
Land once afforested became subject to a peculiar sys- 
tem of laws, which, as well as the formalities required to 
constitute a valid affiirrrtment, have been carefully ascer- 
tained by the Anglo-Norman lawyers. 
Encye. Brit., IX. 409. 
