あの人たちはこの前の災害に打ちひしがれたにちがいない。

that (someone or something distant from both speaker and listener, or situation unfamiliar to both speaker and listener)

people

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

this (something or someone close to the speaker (including the speaker), or ideas expressed by the speaker)

ago; before (some event); previously; (minutes) to (the hour); in front (of); before (e.g. the house); head (of a line); front (e.g. of a bus); fore part; in the presence of; helping; portion; privates; private parts

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

calamity; disaster; misfortune

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

to hit; to strike; to knock; to beat; to punch; to slap; to tap; to bang; to clap; to pound; to strike (noon, etc.); to sound (cymbals, etc.); to beat (a drum, etc.); to beat (rhythmically, e.g. pulse, waves, etc.); to move; to impress; to touch; to drive in; to hammer in; to put in; to inject; to type; to send; to transmit; to insert; to write in; to mark; to make (noodles, etc.); to prepare; to till (soil); to sprinkle; to throw; to cast; to do; to carry out; to play; to perform; to engage in (gambling, etc.); to pay (a deposit, etc.); to visit (on a pilgrimage); to line (a coat); to bind (a criminal)

to crush

near; close; short (distance)