inflict
Americanverb (used with object)
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to impose as something that must be borne or suffered.
to inflict punishment.
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to impose (anything unwelcome).
The regime inflicted burdensome taxes on the people.
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to deal or deliver, as a blow.
verb
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to impose (something unwelcome, such as pain, oneself, etc)
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rare to cause to suffer; afflict (with)
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to deal out (blows, lashes, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inflicternoun
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inflictionnoun
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inflictornoun
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preinflictverb (used with object)
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inflictableadjective
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inflictiveadjective
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uninflictedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inflictsimple
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inflictssimple
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have inflictedperfect
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has inflictedperfect
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am inflictingprogressive
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are inflictingprogressive
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is inflictingprogressive
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have been inflictingperfect progressive
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has been inflictingperfect progressive
Past
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inflictedsimple
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had inflictedperfect
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was inflictingprogressive
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were inflictingprogressive
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had been inflictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inflict
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin inflīctus, past participle of inflīgere “to strike or dash against,” equivalent to in- “in” + flīg- (stem of flīgere “to beat down”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- 2
Explanation
When you force an undesirable or harmful event on someone, you inflict it on them. You might prefer that someone inflict some physical pain on you rather than inflict you with the boredom of another trip to the annual flower show. The verb inflict comes from the Latin word inflictus, meaning “to strike or dash against.” If you cause anything bad to happen to a person, animal, or even an object, you inflict that badness on them. For example, someone can inflict injuries or suffering on other people or inflict damage on property. We can inflict pollution or over-development on our environment. It's always a negative thing — you wouldn't say you inflict happiness or love on others.
Vocabulary lists containing inflict
The Bill of Rights
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Metamorphosis
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
More importantly, that thinking ignores the trauma the investigations themselves inflict.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward.”
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
What new immigrants might inflict on this country is the perpetual worry of immigration restrictionists — and yet history keeps proving them wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
“Plaintiff deliberately crafted a salacious narrative designed to achieve maximum press coverage and inflict maximum pain; unfortunately, it has succeeded despite its falsity,” the countersuit said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
We sat in silence until he said, “Calpurnia, do you intend to inflict a mortal wound on that chair?”
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
This includes Dolan’s fronting of an embarrassing blues-rock band, often while sporting a fedora, and he inflicts his music on audiences by installing himself as the opener for acts like the Eagles.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
What inflicts the damage is not so much plausibility in the abstract as repetition inside intimacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
More experienced managers than relative rookie Rosenior have struggled to survive the mayhem and unique pressures that life at Chelsea inflicts.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Sensitively, the film portrays the devastation Alzheimer's disease inflicts on a patient's loved ones.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
Is humanity worth the pain it inflicts upon itself?
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
"His health is now in crisis, and every day he remains detained is another day of unconscionable injustice inflicted not just on him, but on four young children who are growing up without their father."
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Six months later, he inflicted a humiliating defeat with a lightning counter-offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The U.S. last year inflicted severe damage on the so-called Fordow site, also buried in a mountain, by dropping its most powerful bombs through ventilation shafts that went straight down to uranium enrichment facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
More accomplished sides than Panama would have inflicted serious punishment.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
“You have caused no mischief, worked no magic, inflicted no harm. Run, Kendra, they can’t stop you!”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
In 2025, Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, inflicting damage worth $8.8 billion, or 41% of the island’s annual gross domestic product.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
His mother, Lisa Petrie, has called for tougher bail restrictions for those accused of inflicting serious injuries with knives.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
“The uncertainty the government’s actions have created is already inflicting a wide range of challenges and problems on Anthropic,” he said in the filing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
That is a mental roadblock you’re inflicting on yourself.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
“So the Lewis women have been inflicting that meatloaf on their families for four generations?”
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
