ad- ‘to’ + fligere ‘to strike, dash’

AFFLICT, TRY, TORMENT, TORTURE, RACK mean to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear.

AFFLICT is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

e.g. ills that afflict the elderly

TRY suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

e.g. children often try their parents' patience

TORMENT suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

e.g. a horse tormented by flies

TORTURE adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

e.g. tortured by a sense of guilt

RACK stresses straining or wrenching.

e.g. a body racked by pain

source: [綾波が使徒に浸蝕され苦しむGIF画像｜無料GIF画像検索 GIFMAGAZINE 360889]

(of a problem or illness) cause pain or suffering to; affect or trouble:

｟かたく｠ 〈病気･災害などが〉〈人･国など〉を苦しめる, 悩ます (!しばしば受け身で)

e.g. his younger child was afflicted with a skin disease

e.g. serious ills afflict the industry

〖the ～ed; 名詞的に; 集合的に〗 苦しんで, 悩んでいる人々 (!複数扱い)

e.g. (as plural noun the afflicted) : he comforted the afflicted.

Astrology (of a celestial body) be in a stressful aspect with (another celestial body or a point on the ecliptic):

e.g. Jupiter is afflicted by Mars in opposition.

late Middle English (in the sense ‘deject, humiliate’): from Latin afflictare ‘knock about, harass’, or from afflict- ‘knocked down, weakened’: both from the verb affligere, from ad- ‘to’ + fligere ‘to strike, dash’.