Suffering from pain, illness, or great hardship; troubled by something difficult or distressing.
From Latin 'afflictus' (struck down), derived from 'ad-' (to) and 'flictus' (strike). The word entered English through Old French and originally referred to physical striking, then evolved to mean any kind of suffering.
The word 'afflicted' carries an old religious weight—the term 'affliction' was used to describe suffering sent by God as a test of faith, which is why it sounds more formal and almost spiritual compared to modern words like 'suffering' or 'struggling.'
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