Synonyms

inflect

American

[in-flekt] / ɪnˈflɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to alter, adapt, or modulate (the voice).
to alter or adapt in tone or character: jazz-inflected music.

the power of storytelling inflected through a feminist sensibility;
jazz-inflected music.
Grammar.
1. to apply inflection to (a word).
2. to recite or display all or a distinct set of the inflections of (a word); decline or conjugate.
to bend; turn from a direct line or course.
Botany. to bend in.

verb (used without object)

Grammar. to be characterized by inflection.

inflect British

/ ɪnˈflɛkt /

verb

(grammar) to change (the form of a word) or (of a word) to change in form by inflection
(tr) to change (the voice) in tone or pitch; modulate
(tr) to cause to deviate from a straight or normal line or course; bend

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of inflect

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English inflecten, from Latin inflectere “to bend in,” equivalent to in- in- ² + flectere “to bend, curve”; cf. flex ¹

Explanation

To inflect is to speak in a way that reflects — and changes with — your mood. After hearing tragic news, you'll inflect what you say with the sadness you feel. The changing pitch of your voice inflects your words with meaning, and another way to inflect is to change the form of a word for grammatical reasons, including tense, number, or gender. When you inflect verbs, it's also called conjugation. For example, when you change the verb "to be" from "I am" to "we are," you inflect it. The Latin root of inflect is inflectere, "to bend," and also "to change."

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Vocabulary lists containing inflect

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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.

In his view, sales and earnings growth rates for both categories will inflect positively on the back of Gap’s initiatives to turn several struggling businesses around.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

The analysts said that at Sweetgreen, they expect that “store traffic will take time to inflect positively as macro pressures are likely to persist and consumer spending remains depressed, particularly among younger consumers.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026

U.S. gross gaming revenue was $72 billion in 2024, and the analysts think Robinhood can inflect higher than that given its demographic and distribution advantages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

If the two producers’ generally dissimilar sounds — Dessner leans pastoral, and Antonoff, synthetic — both inflect the record, it could be anything from folk to indie pop.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2024

What confusion the practice must make in the language, especially when we come to inflect this part of the verb with st or est, has already been suggested.

From The Grammar of English Grammars by Brown, Goold

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023