affliger

to afflict, to distress

verb ah-flee-ZHEH Rare

Origin: Latin affligere 'to strike down'

Usage Note

Affliger is formal and literary; everyday French prefers peiner or attrister for milder sadness. It is often used in the passive: être affligé de means 'to be afflicted with' a condition. The adjective affligeant ('appalling, distressing') is more common in modern speech.

Examples

"Cette nouvelle l'a profondément affligé."

Natural Translation

That news deeply distressed him.

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