affliggono

Affliggono is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb affliggere, meaning to distress, trouble, or afflict. It is used with a plural subject to indicate that multiple people, things, or circumstances cause distress or hardship.

Etymology and morphology: affliggere derives from Latin affligere, formed from ad- “toward” and fligere “to strike.” In Italian, affliggono follows a regular pattern for -ere verbs in the present indicative: affliggo, affliggi, affligge, affliggiamo, affliggete, affliggono.

Usage and nuance: affliggere conveys a strong sense of emotional or moral impact, often applied to people, communities, or situations that cause sorrow, worry, or hardship. It can describe both personal misfortune and broader conditions, such as social or economic difficulties. The verb carries a weightier connotation than simpler verbs like preoccupare or turbare, emphasizing the lasting or burdensome nature of distress.

Examples:

- Le cattive notizie affliggono la comunità. (The bad news distress the community.)

- Le condizioni economiche affliggono molte famiglie. (The economic conditions afflict many families.)

- La perdita dell’amico ha afflitto profondamente la famiglia. (The loss of the friend deeply distressed the family.)

See also: affliggere, to whom affliggono is related as the present indicative plural form; related terms include tormentare, preoccupare, e afflizione in a noun form.

Notes: affliggono is confined to standard Italian and is appropriate in formal, literary, and journalistic contexts where a substantial or compounded distress is being described.