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
And then there’s a lot of debate about how much damage has been inflicted on the Iranians in turn.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
When Hitler turned his eyes to the east and invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, German forces inflicted a series of stunning losses against the Soviets, thereby demonstrating the supremacy of their Panzer III and Panzer IV designs.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026
Further declines in home prices would deepen the hit to household balance sheets, said Lizzi Lee, a fellow at Center for China Analysis, noting that the property downturn has already inflicted significant job losses across construction and related sectors.
—Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Exhibiting unique intelligence and soul, this first-time filmmaker just won top prize at the Seattle International Film Festival — with a singular gothic revenge nightmare rooted in the colonization and cultural theft inflicted upon the Māori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand in the mid-19th century.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflict
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David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
When Hitler turned his eyes to the east and invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, German forces inflicted a series of stunning losses against the Soviets, thereby demonstrating the supremacy of their Panzer III and Panzer IV designs.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026
Further declines in home prices would deepen the hit to household balance sheets, said Lizzi Lee, a fellow at Center for China Analysis, noting that the property downturn has already inflicted significant job losses across construction and related sectors.
—Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Exhibiting unique intelligence and soul, this first-time filmmaker just won top prize at the Seattle International Film Festival — with a singular gothic revenge nightmare rooted in the colonization and cultural theft inflicted upon the Māori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand in the mid-19th century.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 May 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 21 May. 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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