Also means
to grieve, to sadden
Usage Note
Peiner has two distinct uses: intransitively it means to struggle or have difficulty (il peine à comprendre — he struggles to understand), and transitively it means to sadden someone (cela me peine beaucoup — that saddens me greatly). The related noun is peine (sorrow, effort, penalty), one of the most versatile words in French.
Examples
"Il peine à trouver les mots justes."
Natural Translation
He struggles to find the right words.
Literal Translation
He struggles to find the just words.

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