---
title: afflict — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «afflict» in the school dictionary: To cause pain, suffering or trouble to someone or something. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# afflict

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Floods, plague, Hunger, fungus, Shyness, you · **What happens:** cause, afflict, be, not afflict · **To what, where:** pain, problem, town, much, He, millions

<!-- .vabout -->
«afflict» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [afflict in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/afflict.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To cause pain, suffering or trouble to someone or something.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:m1:1
# text = To cause pain, suffering or trouble to someone or something.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	cause	cause	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	pain	pain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	suffering	suffering	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	nmod	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cause** | to-infinitive |  | pain and suffering or trouble to someone |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition pain=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: often passive — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To be afflicted with an illness or problem is to suffer from it.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:m2:1
# text = To be afflicted with an illness or problem is to suffer from it.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
2	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	advcl	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	illness	illness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	suffer	suffer	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	from	from	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | to-infinitive · passive |  |  |  |  |  | with a illness or problem | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle» |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | problem |  | suffer *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Floods afflicted the town every spring.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x1:1
# text = Floods afflicted the town every spring.
1	Floods	flood	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	spring	spring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | past | Floods | the town |  |  | spring |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus town=Experiencer |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The plague afflicted much of Europe.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x2:1
# text = The plague afflicted much of Europe.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	plague	plague	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Europe	Europe	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | past | the plague | much of Europe |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus much=Experiencer |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He was afflicted with a terrible cough.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x3:1
# text = He was afflicted with a terrible cough.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	terrible	terrible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	cough	cough	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | past · passive |  | He |  |  |  | with a terrible cough | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Experiencer |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hunger afflicts millions of people.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x4:1
# text = Hunger afflicts millions of people.
1	Hunger	hunger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	afflicts	afflict	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	millions	million	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | present | Hunger | millions of people |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus million=Experiencer |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old tree was afflicted by a fungus.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x5:1
# text = The old tree was afflicted by a fungus.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	fungus	fungus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | past · passive | a fungus | the old tree |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus subject=Experiencer |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Shyness afflicted her as a child.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x6:1
# text = Shyness afflicted her as a child.
1	Shyness	shyness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	afflicted	afflict	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	as	as	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **afflict** | past | Shyness | her *= she* |  |  |  | as a child | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus she=Experiencer |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
“Do not thus afflict yourself, my good master.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:afflict:x7:1
# text = “Do not thus afflict yourself, my good master.
1	“	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	thus	thus	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	afflict	afflict	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	yourself	yourself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
9	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	master	master	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **afflict** *in a quote* | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* | yourself |  |  |  | thus *property* | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus yourself=Experiencer |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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