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
“The financial crisis of 1873 and the two-decade deflation that followed did more than inflict economic pain,” the author argues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
When the rage had passed and he had come to himself he would show a most disarming penitence and agree humbly to any punishment it was proposed to inflict on him.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Jocelin’s certainty is absolute; so is the damage it inflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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
The pain that Beckett inflicts on both women registers silently on his handsome craggy face.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2024
Is humanity worth the pain it inflicts upon itself?
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Near the base of a column atop which Saint Simeon Stylites once perched, scattered stones lay bare the damage inflicted on the surrounding Byzantine monastery in northern Syria by war, looting and rampant illegal excavations.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
The measure of his serious intent to change will be measured in how he spends it—in seeking a return to public power, or in reckoning with the harm he inflicted.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
"The terror inflicted on this community was significant, and its effects on Minneapolis and Lake Street in particular will be long-lasting."
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The Spaniard inflicted the first blow on Federer's serve in the third game and then saw off two break points to serve out the set at 5-4.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
At the moment, he did not have the patience to try and coax a thought out of the lad, whom he suspected had been inflicted on him as a cruel jape.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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
That is a mental roadblock you’re inflicting on yourself.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—The disruption of shipping from the Persian Gulf is inflicting increasing pain on America’s Arab allies, on Iran and on the world economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
He must only guard against inflicting serious injury on anyone who serves him and anyone he has near him in the service of his principality, as Antoninus had done.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
