inflict
verb (used with object)
to impose as something that must be borne or suffered.
inflicting
-
present participleof inflict.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
The theory is that Washington would be so wary of inflicting permanent damage on the American economy that it eventually would accommodate whatever facts Beijing is able to create on the ground in Taiwan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The overstretched will slide into financial distress, inflicting losses on banks and on the private lenders that have proliferated.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
The problem for Bolivia was not the heat that mother nature was inflicting on them - it was the heat they were getting from Scotland, who were patient, precise and clinical.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
In his novel “Sacred Hunger,” Barry Unsworth wrote: “Nothing a man suffers will prevent him from inflicting suffering on others. Indeed, it will teach him the way.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 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
