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inflict

[in-flikt]

verb (used with object)

to impose as something that must be borne or suffered: to inflict punishment.

to impose (anything unwelcome): The regime inflicted burdensome taxes on the people.

to deal or deliver, as a blow.

Origin:
1520–30; < Latin inflīctus past participle of inflīgere to strike or dash against, equivalent to in- in-² + flīg- (stem of flīgere to beat down) + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

in·flict·a·ble, adjective

in·flict·er, in·flic·tor, noun

in·flic·tive, adjective

pre·in·flict, verb (used with object)

un·in·flict·ed, adjective

Can be confused: afflict, infect, inflict.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To inflict

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Inflict is one of our favorite verbs.

So is subtilize. Does it mean:

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

to bark; yelp.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Example Sentences

Major league baseball isn't the only sport ready to inflict serious damage to itself this summer.

Such signs point to a department with serious internal issues and, worse, chomping to inflict their unhappiness on a newcomer.

Another of the aims of terrorism is to inflict economic damage, so weakening the target government.

EXPAND

Major league baseball isn't the only sport ready to inflict serious damage to itself this summer.

Such signs point to a department with serious internal issues and, worse, chomping to inflict their unhappiness on a newcomer.

Another of the aims of terrorism is to inflict economic damage, so weakening the target government.

Friends gather to hold the woman so she does not inflict pain on herself or others.

As for the suggestion that scientists purposely inflict harm on animals with the only goal of profiting.

Not only are they cruelly torturing cats, but also all the wildlife that they inflict their cats upon.

They have a long muzzle and sharp fangs designed to inflict deadly injury.

It takes panache to play a large outdoor carillon and inflict your art, unbidden, on a neighborhood.

Katrina taught us what devastation extreme weather can inflict on colleges.

They may not inflict much damage beyond the odd bloody ambush, but they are also almost impossible to wipe out.

These fish also inflict their venoms with a delivery mechanism.

Freedom does not mean inflict damage, not on yourself nor onto someone else.

It is also the correct term to apply to anyone on whom you might inflict it as a gift.

But financial crises tend to inflict a lot of damage on capacity.

They also inflict a painful rash on any human who handles them.

Animals will be in pain when humans inflict cruelty on them.

With a keystroke, he can inflict all sorts of complications, overriding any preprogrammed instructions.

Investors simply did not believe that the government would inflict that much pain on its citizens in order to defend the currency.

Run-ins with boats can kill manatees on impact and boat propellers can inflict deep, sometimes fatal wounds.

Neither party intends to inflict serious damage, and both partners typically seem to enjoy the symbolic exchange.

Officials inject the slopes with water to freeze it solid, so that it will hold up to the pounding that the skiers inflict.

They inflict the maximum disruption with the minimum loss of workers' pay.

The raglan sleeves prevent irritation on your shoulders that traditional seams can inflict.

Occasional disturbances that inflict moderate damage are, ecologically speaking, a good thing.

He uses his technical skills both to inflict harm and to avoid getting caught.

They peck at each other's heads and can inflict lethal injuries.

They had to self inflict ulcers and cure them before their findings were excepted.

Like any innovation, broadband will inflict major changes on its environment.

As such, the thinking goes, bankers need lots of regulation to limit the harm they will occasionally inflict.

They're not particularly anxious to inflict pain on you.

The intention is to inflict irreparable damage on an entire profession.

Better to inflict a bit of pain to prod them back into shape.

The latter does not have means to inflict as much harm as western evil empires with their cheerleading media has.

But the rest are likely to prove hard to shift and go on to inflict heavy losses.

Although nature decides when and where disasters strike, it is still humans who determine how much suffering they inflict.

The misery they inflict seems to motivate cyber-stalkers.

It is harder to mitigate the immense economic damage natural disasters inflict.

Still others point out that they inflict pain judiciously, only when necessary.

And it should inflict far more pain on donors and fans who knowingly violate the rules.

Although they can inflict a painful bite on humans, they are not venomous.

He cherished everything in nature and took great care not to inflict harm on any living thing.

OP's coworkers were mocking her life choices, in a manner designed to inflict psychological pain.

But hackers may also discern vulnerabilities in computer systems and inflict damage.

As he is dragged into the village, ropes and spears inflict painful wounds.

The military, however, is investigating using it to confuse opponents or even inflict pain.

In a military simulation, small speedboats were able to inflict devastating damage on more powerful warships.

Strikes known as bandhs can inflict huge economic losses, often to the working person in whose name they occur.

Men wield weapons to inflict their will all the while perserving and improving their lifestyles.

At best unions are a necessary evil to counter the abuse employers may inflict on those they employ.

In the absence of such pain it is obvious that they cannot be said to inflict severe physical pain or suffering.

So they take it upon themselves to inflict disproportionate pain.

Such a downturn could inflict further damage on the banks.

Rwanda proves that a determined murder with a machete can inflict plenty of harm.

These protective systems may be effective, but tend to inflict collateral damage.

But the tolling bells inflict upon him another handicap: deafness.

The large saber-toothed and scimitar cats had huge canines that could inflict horrendous wounds.

They don't realize it could strike an eye and they could inflict some real pain''.

Doctors who inflict dozens of unnecessary tests on patients to fend off lawsuits take less pride in their work.

Cryptobranchids can inflict one heck of a painful bite and slip out of one's hands.

The act also criminalizes the use of computers to inflict damage to computer.

Angela grows unstable for fear of what horrors her venomous teen tormentor will inflict upon her next.

In fact it should be illegal to inflict that on any child.

The spiders can inflict a painful bite that is often accompanied by feverish symptoms.

At the same time, both the onesie and the footed pajama can inflict real damage to males from self-application.

Afridi said, adding that the militants were escalating attacks and using more explosives to inflict maximum damage.

Surely he does not intend to inflict hardship on the island.

One obvious approach would be to inflict equal pain on each of the services.

Any political compromise may be far worse than the harm they're able to inflict.

Some inflict cruel and unusual punishments on their flocks.

So good on the internet age where people can inflict what is essentially punative damages without the legal costs.

When evil people inflict pain, when they harm others, they believe it is for a reason.

America has inflicted and continues to inflict economic terrorism on the global economy.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

inflict (ɪnˈflɪkt)

—vb (often foll by on or upon)
1.	to impose (something unwelcome, such as pain, oneself, etc)
2.	rare to cause to suffer; afflict (with)
3.	to deal out (blows, lashes, etc)

[C16: from Latin inflīgere to strike (something) against, dash against, from flīgere to strike]

in'flictable

—*adj*

in'flicter

—n

in'flictor

—n

in'fliction

—n

in'flictive

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

inflict

1566, from L. inflictus, pp. of infligere "to strike or dash against," from in- "on, against" + fligere (pp. flictus) "to dash, strike" (see afflict). You inflict a plague on someone; you afflict someone with a plague.

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Matching Quote

"There are some cases ... in which the sense of injury breeds—not the will to inflict injuries and climb over them as a ladder, but—a hatred of all injury."

-George Eliot

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