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Afflicted vs Dismal - What's the difference?

afflicted | dismal | Related terms |

As a verb afflicted

is past tense of afflict.

As an adjective dismal is

disappointingly inadequate.

afflicted

English

Verb

(head)
  • (afflict)

  • afflict

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
  • * 1611 , 1:11–12:
  • Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict' them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they ' afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
  • * 1611 , 23:27:
  • Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
  • (obsolete) To strike or cast down; to overthrow.
  • * Milton
  • reassembling our afflicted powers
  • (obsolete) To make low or humble.
  • (Spenser)
  • * Jeremy Taylor
  • Men are apt to prefer a prosperous error before an afflicted truth.

    dismal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Disappointingly inadequate.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 22, author=Sam Sheringham, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Liverpool 0-1 West Brom , passage=Liverpool's efforts thereafter had an air of desperation as their dismal 2012 league form continued.}}
  • Gloomy and bleak.
  • Depressing.
  • *, chapter=12
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor. 'Twas a dismal sort of place, with hair wreaths, and wax fruit, and tin lambrekins, and land knows what all. It looked like a tomb and smelt pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "dismal" is often applied: failure, performance, state, record, place, result, scene, season, year, economy, future, fate, weather, news, condition, history.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * dismal science