Synonyms

inflict

American

[in-flikt] / ɪnˈflɪkt /

verb (used with object)

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.

inflict British

/ ɪnˈflɪkt /

verb

to impose (something unwelcome, such as pain, oneself, etc)
rare to cause to suffer; afflict (with)
to deal out (blows, lashes, etc)

"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

Inflected Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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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:

inflict inflicts inflicted inflicting

This week President Vladimir Putin conceded that attacks on industrial facilities and infrastructure "do inflict damage; this is obvious. We understand this, we see it."

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

The efforts by both sides to inflict economic damage on each other put them further from the diplomatic off-ramp they appeared to reach with the deal in June.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

That isn’t to say that a 22% haircut wouldn’t inflict serious financial hardship on millions of retirees.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

More importantly, that thinking ignores the trauma the investigations themselves inflict.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

“I certainly hope that no one has tried to inflict any warmongering resolutions upon the gathering.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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

"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

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

After all the pain Boeing has inflicted on its shareholders and the public, it can’t afford another misstep.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

But this is how discovery works: If you claim a broadcast inflicted extraordinary economic harm, the defendant gets to test that claim.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

"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

When Walt’s double life came to light, the revelations inflicted deep wounds.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

"If the person who did this had been brought to justice, it would prevent someone else from inflicting the same suffering on others... because people would know that there is justice," Yousufi said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

The second-tier side earned qualification for the Europa League by inflicting a shock defeat on Sporting CP to win the Portuguese Cup final in May.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

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

That is a mental roadblock you’re inflicting on yourself.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 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

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