inflicted; inflicting; inflicts
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
Mark Twain2
: afflict
in·flict·er
variants
or inflictor
plural -s
: one that inflicts
death with his comrade, the inflicter of wounds, roamed the darkened streets—Sean O'Casey
Sean O'CaseyExamples of inflict in a Sentence
Verb
These insects are capable of inflicting a painful sting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub,
6 July 2026
Tah missed Germany’s first sudden-death effort before player of the match Jose Canale fittingly sent Paraguay through, inflicting Germany’s first penalty shootout defeat at a World Cup.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
5 July 2026
What the data reveals is less about the Zillennials’ advantage than about the damage inflicted on their cohort neighbors.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 July 2026
The attacks have inflicted lasting damage that will be costly to fix.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflict
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Verb
But no, this is an actual phrase in the world of medicine, apparently used by obstetricians to inflict emotional harm on pregnant folks over the age of 35.
—
Literary Hub,
6 July 2026
Tah missed Germany’s first sudden-death effort before player of the match Jose Canale fittingly sent Paraguay through, inflicting Germany’s first penalty shootout defeat at a World Cup.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
5 July 2026
What the data reveals is less about the Zillennials’ advantage than about the damage inflicted on their cohort neighbors.
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 July 2026
The attacks have inflicted lasting damage that will be costly to fix.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Cite this Entry
“Inflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflict. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
noun
-ˈflik-shən
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