inflict
verb (used with object)
to impose as something that must be borne or suffered.
inflicts
-
present tense formof inflict (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
Jocelin’s certainty is absolute; so is the damage it inflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
There's also the very visible, and seemingly intractable, problem of homelessness, which inflicts misery on the thousands who suffer it and scars the streets of great cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
The focus here is squarely on her mother, another survivor who inflicts her own share of damage along the way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
The pain Deborah inflicts on Ava is at once very personal and notoriously endemic to the entertainment business, a Darwinian factory that demands round-the-clock creative labor.
From Salon ● May 9, 2025
Is humanity worth the pain it inflicts upon itself?
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
