inflict

IPA/ɪnˈflɪkt/
KK[ˌɪnflˈɪkt]IPA/ɪnˈflɪkt/

inflict — 動詞

  • inflictpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • inflictshe / she / it
  • inflictedpast simple
  • inflicting-ing form

1. to deliberately make a person, group, or living thing experience something painf

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

施加；使承受

強迫他人經歷痛苦或不快

to deliberately make a person, group, or living thing experience something painful, difficult, or unwanted — for example, a military attack that causes civilian casualties, or a parent or authority figure who hands out harsh punishment.

例句

The old dictator's regime inflicted terrible suffering upon thousands of innocent civilians.

那位獨裁者的政權對成千上萬的無辜平民施加了可怕的苦難。

inflict + suffering + upon — formal register

Tamar's father inflicted harsh punishments on her for every small mistake.

Tamar 的父親因為她每個小錯誤就對她施加嚴厲的懲罰。

inflict + punishment + on + person

常見搭配
  • inflict pain
  • inflict suffering
  • inflict damage
  • inflict punishment
  • inflict injury
  • inflict hardship
  • inflict a blow
  • inflict casualties
  • inflict wounds
  • inflict humiliation
同義詞
  • impose

    Broader in scope — can apply to duties, taxes, rules, or sanctions, not only pain/suffering; less emotionally charged.

  • cause

    Much more general and neutral; does not imply deliberate intention or the use of force.

  • mete out

    Specifically about punishment or justice; formal, often used in legal contexts (e.g., mete out a sentence).

反義詞
  • relieve

    To remove or reduce pain or suffering — the opposite of causing it.

  • spare

    To refrain from harming or punishing someone.

文法句型

inflict + something (unpleasant) + on/upon + someone/something

用法筆記

The direct object must always be something negative: pain, suffering, punishment, damage, injury, hardship, or a blow. The preposition upon sounds more formal than on and is more typical in legal or literary writing. This verb is rarely used in the passive voice, but when it is, the agent is usually explicit (e.g. 'suffering was inflicted on civilians by the regime').

常見錯誤

The storm inflicted the coastal town.
The storm inflicted severe damage on the coastal town.
Inflict always needs both a direct object (the bad thing) and a recipient introduced by on or upon; never put a person or place directly after the verb.
The doctor inflicted medicine on the patient.
The doctor gave medicine to the patient.
Inflict can only be used for unpleasant things (pain, punishment, injury). For neutral or positive things, use give, administer, or provide.
The disease inflicted him with a fever.
The disease afflicted him with a fever.
Inflict means to cause something bad; afflict means to suffer from something bad. Use be afflicted with/by for illnesses or problems that someone experiences.
片語動詞

inflict on

phrasal verb

To cause something unpleasant to happen to someone.

使遭受

The storm inflicted heavy damage on the coastal town.

Why did you inflict that boring movie on your friends?

同根字

  • infliction
    名詞C1
  • inflictive
    形容詞C2

常見搭配

名詞搭配

副詞搭配

常用片語

  • inflict ... on/upon someone
  • inflict damage on
  • inflict a blow to

介系詞搭配