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
But so far, Trump has taken no action, and Russia continued to inflict pain on Ukraine as well.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 2 June 2025
Nothing can justify the number of civilian casualties (tens of thousands of women and children) inflicted by Israel in Gaza in the last two years.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
But Ukraine’s own enhanced use of drones, deployed in several layers on the battlefield, has helped Kyiv inflict heavy losses on the opposing forces with minimal casualties among its own troops.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
Hufanga plays with passion, sharp instincts and a willingness to inflict jolts of pain.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
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Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 2 June 2025
Nothing can justify the number of civilian casualties (tens of thousands of women and children) inflicted by Israel in Gaza in the last two years.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
But Ukraine’s own enhanced use of drones, deployed in several layers on the battlefield, has helped Kyiv inflict heavy losses on the opposing forces with minimal casualties among its own troops.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
Hufanga plays with passion, sharp instincts and a willingness to inflict jolts of pain.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Cite this Entry
“Inflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflict. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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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