What does inflict mean?

Definitions for inflict
ɪnˈflɪktin·flict

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word inflict.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. inflict, bring down, visit, imposeverb

    impose something unpleasant

    "The principal visited his rage on the students"

Wiktionary

  1. inflictverb

    To thrust upon; to impose.

    They inflicted terrible pains on her to obtain a confession.

  2. Etymology: * From Latin infligere, from in-, + fligere, "to strike".

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To INFLICTverb

    To put in act or impose as a punishment.

    Etymology: infligo, inflictus, Latin; infliger, Fr.

    I know no pain, they can inflict upon him,
    Will make him say I mov'd him to those arms. William Shakespeare.

    Sufficient is this punishment which was inflicted. 2 Cor. ii.

    What the potent victor in his rage
    Can else inflict. John Milton.

    What heart could wish, what hand inflict this dire disgrace? John Dryden, Æn. b. vi.

    By diseases we condemn ourselves to greater torments than have been yet invented by anger or revenge, or inflicted by the greatest tyrants upon the worst of men. William Temple.

ChatGPT

  1. inflict

    Inflict is a verb that generally refers to causing or imposing something unwelcome, harmful, or unpleasant to someone or something, such as pain, injury, damage or certain punishment.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Inflictverb

    to give, cause, or produce by striking, or as if by striking; to apply forcibly; to lay or impose; to send; to cause to bear, feel, or suffer; as, to inflict blows; to inflict a wound with a dagger; to inflict severe pain by ingratitude; to inflict punishment on an offender; to inflict the penalty of death on a criminal

  2. Etymology: [L. inflictus, p. p. of infligere to strike on, to inflict; pref. in- in, on + fligere to strike. Cf. Flail.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Inflict

    in-flikt′, v.t. to lay on: to impose, as punishment.—n. Inflic′tion, act of inflicting or imposing: punishment applied.—adj. Inflict′ive, tending or able to inflict. [L. inflictus, infligĕrein, against, fligĕre, to strike.]

Suggested Resources

  1. Inflict

    Inflict vs. Afflict -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Inflict and Afflict.

British National Corpus

  1. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'inflict' in Verbs Frequency: #1076

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce inflict?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of inflict in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of inflict in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of inflict in a Sentence

  1. President Obama:

    Just as we're all connected like never before, we have to work together like never before, both to seize opportunities but also meet the challenges of this information age, it's one of the great paradoxes of our time that the very technologies that empower us to do great good can also be used to undermine us and inflict great harm.

  2. Thucydides:

    The sufferings that fate inflicts on us should be borne with patience, what enemies inflict with manly courage.

  3. Greg Rosenbaum:

    My biggest concern here is that the more we frame this debate with vitriol, the more likely we inflict severe damage for the Jewish community.

  4. Vincent Cochetel:

    To leave people who have fled war and violence in Libya on the high seas in this weather would be to inflict suffering upon suffering, they must be immediately allowed to dock, and allowed to receive much-needed humanitarian aid.

  5. Oksana Markarova:

    They used the vacuum bomb today, the devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

inflict#10000#34028#100000

Translations for inflict

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"inflict." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 9 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/inflict>.

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    easily diffused or spread as from one person to another
    A contagious
    B ultimo
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