verb with object

cause (something unpleasant or painful) to be suffered by someone or something:

【人に】〈苦しみ･危害･罰など〉をもたらす, 押しつける, 課す «on, upon»

e.g. they inflicted serious injuries on three other men.

(inflict something on) impose something unwelcome on:

e.g. she is wrong to inflict her beliefs on everyone else.

inflictable adjective

inflicter noun

mid 16th century (in the sense ‘afflict, trouble’): from Latin inflict- ‘struck against’, from the verb infligere, from in- ‘into’ + fligere ‘to strike’.