Afflicting and Hurtful

Afflicting

Afflicting adjective - Hard to accept or bear especially emotionally.
Usage example: the afflicting sight of so many earthquake victims was too much even for some hardened rescue workers

Hurtful and afflicting are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Hurtful" instead an adjective "Afflicting".

Hurtful

Hurtful adjective - Hard to accept or bear especially emotionally.
Usage example: her ex-husband said hurtful things that she could never forgive

Afflicting and hurtful are semantically related. You can use "Afflicting" instead an adjective "Hurtful".

Nearby Words: hurt, hurting
Cite this Source
Hurtful and Afflicting. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 01, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/afflicting/hurtful
Afflicting & Hurtful. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/afflicting/hurtful>.
Hurtful or Afflicting. 2016. Accessed August 01, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/afflicting/hurtful.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "afflicting" and "hurtful" have occurred on timeline