inflict
Americanverb (used with object)
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inflicts,
present (3rd person singular)
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inflicted,
past participle, past
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inflicting
present participle
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to impose as something that must be borne or suffered.
to inflict punishment.
-
to impose (anything unwelcome).
The regime inflicted burdensome taxes on the people.
-
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
-
have been inflictingperfect progressive
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has been inflictingperfect progressive
Past
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inflictedsimple
-
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:
By coordinating insecticide applications with the beetles' reproductive cycles, researchers hope to disrupt larval development before the insects can inflict extensive damage on blueberry roots.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
“There’s definitely been an effort by the Iranians to inflict casualties on U.S. forces,” said Brian Carter, an Iran-focused defense analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Without relief, Defendants’ calculated campaign will continue to inflict fear, to destabilize SAL’s operations, and to cause further irreparable harm.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
But Krishnan-Harihara believes any sanctions imposed on the club are unlikely to inflict lasting damage on Manchester's economic prospects.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
A fresh wrong did these words inflict: the worse, because they touched on the truth.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
But more than 20 charities in both countries have said the French-British deal inflicts "further harm on people who have already survived war, torture, persecution, violence, human trafficking, and a treacherous sea journey".
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
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
CME claims the CFTC’s approval inflicts “textbook competitive injury” as perpetual futures target its retail customer base.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
"Please can we not be a church that inflicts such pain, and that I believe is the fundamental choice at the base of this bill," he added.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Is humanity worth the pain it inflicts upon itself?
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Economists at the New York Federal Reserve have found that these levies have inflicted a heavy hit on many common consumer goods.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
These adverse moves have wrong-footed the hedge-fund community and inflicted severe losses.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
After everything Russia has inflicted on Ukraine, Kyiv isn’t about to turn to Moscow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Second World War, meanwhile, inflicted its own deadly toll -- the Soviet Union suffered the highest casualties, with 20-27 million people estimated to have died, both civilians and military.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
I can’t let them see my doubts, or the wounds they’ve inflicted on me.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
The eurozone economy has also proved resilient, growing faster than expected in the second quarter, leaving policymakers with some room to lift borrowing costs without inflicting major damage.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 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
The flares must have been devastating, inflicting catastrophic damage worldwide and unleashing the heat of hell itself.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
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