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Definition of inflict
transitive verb
1 : afflict
2a : to give by or as if by striking inflict a painful sting inflict damageb : to cause (something unpleasant) to be endured … inflict my annual message upon the church itself if it might derive benefit thereby. — Mark Twain
From the M-W Editors
Examples of inflict in a Sentence
These insects are capable of inflicting a painful sting.
Recent Examples of inflict from the Web
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Jeremy Corbyn inflicted an electoral blow on Theresa May last month by appealing to young voters with a promise to scrap university tuition fees if his opposition Labour Party won power.
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The internet outages also can inflict serious damage on the economies of African countries that desperately seek growth, according to research by the Brookings Institution think tank.
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BDSM is absolutely NOT about causing someone harm or pain who doesn’t want pain inflicted upon them.
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However, when reignited, the device can detonate unexpectedly in the person’s hand, inflicting serious injury.
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However, Jaworowski says that interactions between bears and humans should be avoided because all bears are potentially dangerous and could inflict serious injury.
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The U.S. Open is famous for inflicting a high penalty for mistakes, so Rickie Fowler devised an ingenious strategy on Thursday.
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Police said in 2015 that the boy's 3-year-old sister did not appear harmed, though the defendants blamed her for inflicting some of her brother's injuries.
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Hazal Leanor Hodge, 41, who lives in the home, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inflict'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of inflict
Latin inflictus, past participle of infligere, from in- + fligere to strike — more at profligate
INFLICT Defined for English Language Learners
inflict
playDefinition of inflict for English Language Learners
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: to cause someone to experience or be affected by (something unpleasant or harmful)
INFLICT Defined for Kids
inflict
playDefinition of inflict for Students
inflicted
;inflicting
1 : to give by or as if by striking inflict a wound
2 : to cause to be put up with … you endure the boredom that doctors and dentists inflict on their patients before bringing them in … — Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator
Learn More about inflict
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See words that rhyme with inflict Spanish Central: Translation of inflict Nglish: Translation of inflict for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inflict for Arabic speakers
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