inflict

Borrowed from Latin īnflīctus, past participle of īnflīgō, from in- + flīgō (“strike”).

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈflɪkt/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɪkt

inflict (third-person singular simple present inflicts, present participle inflicting, simple past and past participle inflicted)

1. To thrust upon; to impose.

   They inflicted terrible pains on her to obtain a confession.

   • 1937, Josephus, Ralph Marcus, transl., chapter VIII, in Josephus: With an English Translation (Loeb Classical Library), volume VI (Jewish Antiquities), London: William Heinemann Ltd.; Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, published 1958, →OCLC, book IX, paragraph 1, page 87:

     Now Azaēlos, the king of Syria, made war on the Israelites and their king Jehu, and ravaged the eastern parts of the country across the Jordan […] spreading fire everywhere and plundering everything and inflicting violence on all who fell into his hands.

   • 2011 June 15, Tony White, Working with Suicidal Individuals: A Guide to Providing Understanding, Assessment and Support‎^[1], Jessica Kingsley Publishers, →ISBN, page 87:

     This allowed me to continue inflicting this injury on myself long after I otherwise could have beared^[sic], I think.

• infliction