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
Examples of inflict in a Sentence
These insects are capable of inflicting a painful sting.
Recent Examples on the Web
The District’s strong gun laws, including its bans on semi-automatic weapons and open carry, likely stopped some rioters from arming themselves and inflicting mass casualties.
—Douglas Letter, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Martinez has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, the sheriff's office said in their statement.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The Chinese, too, are absolutely shocked that a great power is menacing a small neighbor and inflicting regime change by military force.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
There’s nothing there that heals him and his family from the harm and trauma that was inflicted on this child.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Douglas Letter, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Martinez has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, the sheriff's office said in their statement.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
The Chinese, too, are absolutely shocked that a great power is menacing a small neighbor and inflicting regime change by military force.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
There’s nothing there that heals him and his family from the harm and trauma that was inflicted on this child.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 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 Jan. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share