Word: inflicted

Associations

The word "inflicted" means to cause something painful or harmful to happen to someone or something. It is often used in situations where harm, injury, or suffering is imposed on a person or object.

• Example 1: "The accident inflicted serious injuries on the driver." This means the accident caused the driver to be hurt badly.
• Example 2: "The disease inflicted pain on the patient." Here, the disease caused the patient to suffer physically.
• Example 3: "The storm inflicted damage on several buildings." In this case, the storm caused harm to the buildings.

A common synonym for "inflicted" is "imposed." The difference is that "imposed" can be used in broader, less painful contexts, like rules or taxes, while "inflicted" always implies a negative impact or damage.

Substitution

Instead of "inflicted," you could use:

• "caused" (more general, can be positive or negative)
• "imposed" (often related to rules or taxes, less about harm)
• "brought about" (can be neutral, depending on context)

Changing these words can affect how serious or harmful the action seems.

Deconstruction

The word "inflicted" comes from the root "flict," which means to strike. The prefix "in-" means to put into or onto. Together, "inflicted" suggests putting a strike or hurt onto someone or something.

Historically, it comes from the Latin word "inficere," which means to inflict or to blemish.

Inquiry

Think about situations where you might use the word "inflicted."

• Can you recall a time when someone inflicted pain on you or a friend, either physically or emotionally?
• How would you feel if someone inflicted harm intentionally?
• In what other contexts could you see "inflicted" being used, like in the news or stories?