Inflict

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈflɪkt/

Definitions of inflict

verb to cause something unpleasant or painful to be suffered by someone or something

Example Sentences

A1 The bully tried to inflict pain on the smaller kid.

A2 The storm inflicted damage on several houses in the neighborhood.

B1 The dictator's regime inflicted suffering on its citizens for years.

B2 The new policy could potentially inflict financial losses on the company.

C1 The malicious hacker attempted to inflict chaos on the company's network.

C2 The war inflicted untold devastation on the country's infrastructure.

Examples of inflict in a Sentence

formal The judge decided to inflict the maximum penalty for the crime.

informal I can't believe he would inflict such harsh punishment on his own brother.

slang Don't make me inflict my wrath on you!

figurative Her words were like daggers, ready to inflict pain on anyone who dared to challenge her.

Grammatical Forms of inflict

• past tense: inflicted
• plural: inflicts
• comparative: more inflict
• superlative: most inflict
• present tense: inflict
• future tense: will inflict
• perfect tense: have inflicted
• continuous tense: is inflicting
• singular: inflict
• positive degree: inflict
• infinitive: to inflict
• gerund: inflicting
• participle: inflicted

Origin and Evolution of inflict

First Known Use: 1565 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'inflict' originated from the Latin word 'infligere' which means to strike or dash against.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'inflict' has retained its original meaning of causing harm or suffering, but has also expanded to encompass the idea of imposing something unpleasant or burdensome on someone.