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

Today, more than four decades after the fall of the dictatorship, the pervasive and unresolved trauma inflicted by that period is evident in many forms across Argentina. —Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024

Argentina’s retirees are perhaps the most potent symbol of the strife inflicted by Mr. Milei’s fiscal shock. —Isabel Debre, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2024

The following items are prohibited: Any object that can be used to inflict bodily injury or disrupt the event, chemical dispensing devices, noise-making devices, two-way radios. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 9 Dec. 2024

In fact, sanctions inflicted significant damage and reduced the Kremlin’s room for policy maneuver, and now Russia’s economy is dangerously distorted as the costs of the conflict pile up. —Theodore Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024

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

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