inflict

verb

in·​flict in-ˈflikt 

inflicted; inflicting; inflicts

transitive verb

1

a

: to give by or as if by striking

inflict a painful sting

inflict damage

b

: to cause (something unpleasant) to be endured

… inflict my annual message upon the church itself if it might derive benefit thereby.

—Mark Twain

2

: afflict

inflicter noun

or inflictor

in-ˈflik-tər 

inflictive

in-ˈflik-tiv 

adjective

Examples of inflict in a Sentence

These insects are capable of inflicting a painful sting.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet meaningful change has been slow to materialize, souring views of Starmer’s premiership and inflicting heavy losses on the Labour Party in local government elections in May, which virtually sealed his fate. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Minnesota is among the states with a history of forcibly removing Indigenous children from their families and subjecting them to years in boarding schools that aimed to erase Native cultures, inflicting centuries of intergenerational trauma. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 23 June 2026

Cronkite’s professional reputation was based on his rigorous objectivity and a refusal to inflict his own opinions on the viewing public. — Andrew Lack, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

American housing prices began to slide, then accelerated into a dizzying plunge that inflicted huge losses for banks, pension funds and other investors that had bet heavily on real estate. — Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin inflictus, past participle of infligere, from in- + fligere to strike — more at profligate

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for inflict

• addict
• afflict
• constrict
• delict
• depict
• evict
• handpicked
• predict
• relict
• restrict
• bricked
• clicked

Kids Definition

inflict

verb

in·​flict in-ˈflikt 

1

: to give by or as if by striking

inflict a wound

2

: to cause (something damaging or painful) to be endured

inflict punishment

infliction

-ˈflik-shən

noun