French word

affliger

Pronunciation

IPA/afliʒe/

Meaning

  • verbsadden

Example

Cette nouvelle va affliger sa famille.

This news will sadden his family.

Illustration for affliger (sadden)

More examples

Ça m'afflige d'entendre cette histoire.

It saddens me to hear this story.

Core concept

A heavy blow to someone's spirits, leaving them deeply distressed.

Common phrases

  • affliger quelqu'un

    sadden someone

  • ça m'afflige

    That saddens me

Similar words

attrister: To make someone sad and weigh heavily on their spirits.
peiner: To cause someone sadness and lower their spirits.
faire de la peine: To say or do something that makes another person feel sad.

Definition in French

Causer de la peine ou de la tristesse à quelqu'un, lui faire éprouver du chagrin.

Word origin

French affliger comes from Latin affligere, formed from ad- meaning 'toward' and fligere meaning 'strike', with the sense shifting from striking down to causing distress.

Usage tips

  • Affliger is somewhat formal, while attrister, peiner, and faire de la peine are more common in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • afflictverb
  • troubleverb

Opposites

Related words

  • affligédistressedadjective
  • affligeantdistressingadjective

Word lists with this word