Causing pain, distress, or suffering; troubling or distressing in nature.
Present participle of afflict, used as an adjective. The -ing suffix indicates ongoing action or a quality derived from that action.
The -ing suffix is incredibly flexible in English—it can make verbs into nouns (running), adjectives (running water), or gerunds. It's one reason English adapts so quickly to new needs.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.