to inflict
- verb
- /ɪnˈflɪkt/
- The harsh penalties will only inflict more suffering on the already struggling community.
- inflict harm
- inflict pain
- inflict damage
I was constantly trying to inflict self doubt on you.
- I was constantly trying to inflict self doubt on you.
- I could never inflict that pain on them twice.
- You cannot become compassionate with inflicting suffering on others
- I would enjoy inflicting pain or having pain inflicted on me.
- And then she is has something even worse inflicted upon her.
- It's the rest of it's what it has inflicted, if you will, on society.
- No, like I would never inflict that on someone else.
- There's no end to the misery we will inflict on one another.
- He was feeling the pain it caused Jesus when he was inflicting pain on others.
- They specifically target doctors and hospitals in order to inflict the most harm, basically.
- You, I don't want to say inflict pain on yourself, cause pain.
Examples
-
There's no end to the misery we will inflict on one another.
-
I could never inflict that pain on them twice.
-
So I yes, I did inflict upon myself.
-
No, like I would never inflict that on someone else.
-
We're not gonna inflict our problems on an innocent child.
-
It's supposed to inflict hard treatment on wrongdoers.
-
The evil that's being inflicted is significant.
-
That's a lot of pain to inflict on others for your own enrichment.
-
Power is inflicting pain and humiliation.
-
That's enough to cover the tax hike he's inflicting on working people.
Synonyms
Force someone to accept something they do not want
To cause someone to experience something unpleasant
To cause someone to feel great physical or mental pain
Cause pain or trouble to people, animals and places
To cause punishment or harm to someone
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
inflict = in + flict
The verb is built from the Latin prefix 'in-' + the combining form 'flict', but 'flict' is not a standalone English word, so learners cannot derive the meaning from familiar English bases.
Etymology
The word inflict comes from the parts in- ('into') and flict (from a Latin word meaning 'to strike'). You can see the same flict in conflict, where things 'strike' against each other. So to inflict pain or punishment is like 'striking into' someone, making them receive or feel something harmful.