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
inflict, bring down, visit, imposeverb
impose something unpleasant
"The principal visited his rage on the students"
Wiktionary
inflictverb
To thrust upon; to impose.
They inflicted terrible pains on her to obtain a confession.
Etymology: * From Latin infligere, from in-, + fligere, "to strike".
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
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
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
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
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
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, infligĕre—in, against, fligĕre, to strike.]
Suggested Resources
Inflict
Inflict vs. Afflict -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Inflict and Afflict.
British National Corpus
Verbs Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'inflict' in Verbs Frequency: #1076
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of inflict in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of inflict in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Examples of inflict in a Sentence
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.
The sufferings that fate inflicts on us should be borne with patience, what enemies inflict with manly courage.
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.
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.
They used the vacuum bomb today, the devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
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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