Afflict vs. Inflict: Know the Difference Between These Confusing English Words

Afflict and Inflict are verbs that have similar and overlapping meanings, but they maintain a distinct usage. Both can mean “to cause suffering” (to someone):

The guest inflicted his need to watch television on his hosts.

They were afflicted with a guest who watched television every night.

Generally inflict is paired with the preposition on (inflict on), while afflict takes with (afflict with)—although you may hear English speakers mix up these patterns because the words are so similar.

Inflict is also more limited, usually referring to singular events, such as a short-term illness, instead of continuous states of being:

Incorrect: The accident inflicted a coma on him.

Correct: The accident afflicted him with a coma.

Typically, the object of inflict is a word like damage, pain, or suffering—a word for the suffering itself. In contrast, the object of afflict is usually the cause of the suffering, such as a disease:

Incorrect: The weather inflicted arthritis on him.

Correct: He was afflicted with arthritis.

Correct: The war inflicted much damage on the country.

Incorrect: The country was afflicted by damage from the war.

Correct: The country was afflicted with war.

The words inflict and afflict are frequently used in writing or conversation, and have a slightly educated sound. The following sections list more examples of how these words might be used in a sentence. 

Using "Afflict" in a Sentence

Here is a list of examples that illustrate how the word afflict might be used in a sentence:

1. The disease afflicted the population and killed many people.
2. The pain afflicted him and he was unable to move from the hospital bed
3. The country was afflicted by draught, famine, and extreme poverty.
4. The anger I felt for my father afflicted me with sadness and regret.
5. He was afflicted with a fear of heights as a child and it still affects him as an adult.
6. A sense of gloom and doom had now afflicted him, as he remembered all too clearly what lay ahead for him in the coming days and weeks.
7. We should not underestimate the power of our own afflictions. 
8. She refused to view her disability as an affliction. 

Using "Inflict" in a Sentence

Here is another list of example sentences; this time for the word inflict: 

1. I couldn't help but inflict my frustration on him. 
2. The phone call was too costly and it inflicted financial hardship. 
3. I'm sorry for inflicting this upon you.
4. The bark of the tree can inflict small wounds if you touch it with your bare hands because it contains a natural chemical called urushiol, which can cause allergic reactions. 
5. The phone call was too costly and it inflicted financial hardship.
6. He was inflicting pain on his adversary with every sentence.
7. The flood ruined their crops, inflicting heavy losses on the farmers.
8. The mother's voice had been inflicting his mind for as long as he could remember.