Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense affects, present participle affecting, past tense, past participle affected
1. verb
If something affects a person or thing, it influences them or causes them to change in some way.
Nicotine adversely affects the functioning of the heart and arteries. [VERB noun]
More than seven million people have been affected by drought. [VERB noun]
...the worst-affected areas of Somalia. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: influence, involve, concern, impact More Synonyms of affect
2. verb
If a disease affects someone, it causes them to become ill.
Arthritis is a crippling disease which affects people all over the world. [VERB noun]
3. verb
If something or someone affects you, they make you feel a strong emotion, especially sadness or pity.
Her experience of the last few hours has deeply affected her. [VERB noun]
Gregor loved his sister, and her loss clearly still affects him. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: emotionally move, touch, upset, overcome More Synonyms of affect
4. verb
If you affect a particular characteristic or way of behaving, you pretend that it is genuine, or natural for you.
[literary]
He listened to them, affecting an amused interest. [VERB noun]
Ms. Redgrave affects a heavy Italian accent. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB to-infinitive]
Synonyms: put on, assume, adopt, pretend More Synonyms of affect
affect in British English1
verb (əˈfɛkt)(transitive)
1.
to act upon or influence, esp in an adverse way
damp affected the sparking plugs
2.
to move or disturb emotionally or mentally
her death affected him greatly
3.
(of pain, disease, etc) to attack
noun (ˈæfɛkt, əˈfɛkt)
4. psychology
the emotion associated with an idea or set of ideas
See also affection
Word origin
C17: from Latin affectus, past participle of afficere to act upon, from ad- to + facere to do
affect in British English2
(əˈfɛkt)
verb(mainly tr)
1.
to put on an appearance or show of; make a pretence of
to affect ignorance
2.
to imitate or assume, esp pretentiously
to affect an accent
3.
to have or use by preference
she always affects funereal clothing
4.
to adopt the character, manner, etc, of
he was always affecting the politician
5.
(of plants or animals) to live or grow in
penguins affect an arctic climate
6.
to incline naturally or habitually towards
falling drops of liquid affect roundness
Word origin
C15: from Latin affectāre to strive after, pretend to have; related to afficere to affect1
affect in American English1
(əˈfɛkt; for 4 ˈæfˌɛkt)
verb transitive
1.
to have an effect on; influence; produce a change in
bright light affects the eyes
2.
to move or stir the emotions of
his death affected us deeply
noun
3. Obsolete
a disposition or tendency
4. Psychology
a.
an emotion or feeling attached to an idea, object, etc.
b.
in general, emotion or emotional response
SYNONYMY NOTE: affect1 implies the producing of an effect strong enough to evoke a reaction; to , influence is to affect in such a way as to produce a change in action, thought, nature, orbehavior [to influence legislation]; impress2 is used of that which produces a deep or lasting effect on the mind; , touch and the stronger , move, as considered here, are both applied to the arousing of emotion, sympathy, etc.,but , move also denotes an influencing so as to effect a change; , sway emphasizes an influencing intended to turn a person from a given course [threats will not sway us]
Derived forms
affectable (afˈfectable)
adjective
Word origin
ME affecten < L affectare, to strive after < affectus, pp. of afficere, to influence, attack < ad-, to + facere, do1; (sense 4) Ger affekt < L affectus, state of mind or body
affect in American English2
(æˈfɛkt; əˈfɛkt)
verb transitive
1.
to like to have, use, wear, be in, etc.
she affects plaid coats
2.
to make a pretense of being, having, feeling, liking, etc.; feign
to affect indifference
3. Archaic
to aim at; seek
SIMILAR WORDS: asˈsume
Derived forms
affectable (afˈfectable)
adjective
Word origin
ME affecten < OFr affecter < L affectare, affect1
Examples of 'affect' in a sentence
affect
An investigation into the number of people affected is continuing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The second is the snowflake idea that each individual freedom may affect the collective.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Drugs and diseases often affect different populations in starkly different ways.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The size of the loan will also affect interest charges.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Everyone insists that this will in no way affect her views or criticism.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It will then decide if the proposals can work and do not adversely affect the sewerage system.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The company is currently consulting with staff affected by the change.
The Sun (2016)
How many people does it affect?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The figures can be affected by adverse weather conditions.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Whether these views actually affect how people vote is an open question.
Christianity Today (2000)
The disease mainly affects the lung and digestive system.
Ridgway, Roy Caring for your Unborn Child (1990)
The volatility and uncertainty around carbon trading also affects this business.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We have four rooms affected in some way.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The key is to do so in a way that improves performance without adversely affecting reliability.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
These two kinds of relationships clearly affect one another.
Bee, Helen The Developing Child (7th edn.) (1995)
The change will affect only new employees and not current ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Look in detail at the chapter on housing to see how this really could affect you.
Tondeur, Keith Say Goodbye to Debt (1994)
It appears to have no adverse affect on me.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The conduct had no ramifications beyond the three people affected by it.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The disease had affected both her mother and her aunt.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The age of the mother also affects the chances of health problems.
The Sun (2009)
It would have affected the way we dealt with each other as human beings.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
If anything the system is affecting standards adversely.
The Sun (2013)
He was clearly affected by her death and is expected to attend the funeral this week.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Such telling changes will affect people in all sorts of ways.
Evans, Peter & Deehan, Geoff The Descent of Mind - the how and why of intelligence (1990)
It has really affected my studies and has taken up two years of my life.
The Sun (2009)
Avoid anything adverse that may affect the reputation of integrity of the team.
The Sun (2014)
Employers may ask job applicants if they have a disability that may affect their performance in the job.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
affect
British English: affect /əˈfɛkt/ VERB
When something affects someone or something, it influences them or causes them to change.
...decisions that would affect me for the rest of my life.
American English: affect
Arabic: يُؤثِر
Brazilian Portuguese: afetar
Chinese: 影响
Croatian: utjecati
Czech: působit
Danish: påvirke
Dutch: beïnvloeden
European Spanish: afectar
Finnish: vaikuttaa
French: affecter
German: betreffen
Greek: επηρεάζω
Italian: influire
Japanese: 影響を与える
Korean: 영향을 미치다
Norwegian: påvirke
Polish: wpłynąć
European Portuguese: afetar
Romanian: a afecta
Russian: воздействовать
Latin American Spanish: afectar
Swedish: påverka
Thai: กระทบ
Turkish: etkilemek bir sonuç yaratarak
Ukrainian: впливати
Vietnamese: tác động
Chinese translation of 'affect'
affect
(əˈfɛkt)
vt
(= influence)[person, object]影响(響) (yǐngxiǎng)
[disease]侵袭(襲) (qīnxí)
(emotionally) 感动(動) (gǎndòng)
(liter, = feign)
to affect interest/concern佯装(裝)感兴(興)趣/关(關)心 (yángzhuāng gǎn xìngqù/guānxīn)
请勿将 affect 和 effect 混淆。如果某事物 affects 某人或某事，则它影响了该人或该事，或者使他们发生改变。 Fitness affects you mentally and physically, and how you feel affects your relationshipsand your ability to cope ... Noise affects different people in different ways.affect 的名词形式是 effect。如果某事物 affect 你，它对你有 effect。 ... the effect of noise on people in factories ... the effect of the anaesthetic ... effect 也可以用作动词。如果你 effect 某事，例如某个变化或修理某物，你促使该事发生或做了这件事。effect 作为动词时，是一个比较正式的词汇，而且比作为名词时的用法少见得多。 She had effected a few rather hasty repairs.
1 (verb)
Definition
to influence (someone or something)
Millions of people have been affected by the drought.
Synonyms
influence
What you eat may influence your risk of getting cancer.
involve
concern
This matter doesn't concern you, so stay out of it.
impact
transform
the speed at which your body transforms food into energy
alter
They have never altered their programmes.
modify
They agreed to modify their recruitment policy.
change
We are trying to detect and understand how the climate changes.
manipulate
He's a very difficult character. He manipulates people.
She was unable, for once, to manipulate events.
act on
sway
Don't ever be swayed by fashion.
prevail over
bear upon
impinge upon
2 (verb)
Definition
to move someone emotionally
He loved his sister, and her loss clearly still affects him.
Synonyms
emotionally move
touch
It has touched me deeply to see how these people live.
upset
She warned me not to say anything to upset him.
overcome
I don't know what to say! I'm quite overcome.
stir
I was intrigued by him, stirred by his intellect.
disturb
He had been disturbed by the news of the attack.
perturb
He didn't seem to be perturbed by the news.
impress on
tug at your heartstrings often facetious)
see effect
(verb)
Definition
to put on a show of
He listened to them, affecting an amused interest.
Synonyms
put on
assume
He assumed an air of superiority.
adopt
pretend
He pretended to be asleep.
imitate
a precedent which may be imitated by other activists
simulate
They rolled about, simulating a bloodthirsty fight.
contrive
aspire to
sham
counterfeit
He financed a plot to counterfeit gold coins.
feign
You can't feign interest in something you loathe.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of alter
Definition
to make or become different
They have never altered their programmes.
Synonyms
modify,
change,
reform,
shift,
vary,
transform,
adjust,
adapt,
revise,
amend,
diversify,
remodel,
tweak (informal),
recast,
reshape,
metamorphose,
transmute
in the sense of assume
Definition
to make a pretence of
He assumed an air of superiority.
Synonyms
simulate,
affect,
adopt,
put on,
imitate,
mimic,
sham,
counterfeit,
feign,
impersonate
in the sense of change
Definition
to make or become different
We are trying to detect and understand how the climate changes.