MEANING
To cause someone or something to suffer harm, pain, damage, or an imposed penalty.
Use it for
Use when damage, pain, or punishment is deliberately or causally dealt.Show harm being imposed, whether through force, punishment, or circumstance.
Words that belong together
- inflict pain
- inflict damage on
- inflict a penalty
- inflict a wound
On the page
The blast inflicted severe damage on the portside windows.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- inflict
- Past tense
- inflicted
- Past participle
- inflicted
- Present participle
- inflicting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- inflict
- Present continuous
- am/is/are inflicting
- Present perfect
- have/has inflicted
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been inflicting
- Past
- inflicted
- Past continuous
- was/were inflicting
- Past perfect
- had inflicted
- Past perfect continuous
- had been inflicting
- Future
- will inflict
- Future continuous
- will be inflicting
- Future perfect
- will have inflicted
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been inflicting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Usually takes the harm or penalty as its object, followed by on or upon the affected person or thing.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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