Definition of the word affect

Last Updated:
9 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English affecten, from Latin affectāre, from Latin affectus, the participle stem of Latin afficere (“to act upon, influence, affect, attack with disease”), from ad- + facere (“to make, do”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• enPR: ə.fĕkt’, IPA^(key): /əˈfɛkt/
• Rhymes: -ɛkt
• Homophone: effect (weak vowel merger)

Verb[edit]

affect (third-person singular simple present affects, present participle affecting, simple past and past participle affected)

1. (transitive) To influence or alter.

   Synonyms: alter, change, have an effect on, have an impact on, influence

   The experience affected me deeply.

   The heat of the sunlight affected the speed of the chemical reaction.

   • 2012 January 1, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, page 74:

     Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.

3. (transitive) To move to emotion.

   Synonyms: move, touch

   He was deeply affected by the tragic ending of the play.

   • 1757, Edmund Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful

     A consideration of the rationale of our passions seems to me very necessary for all who would affect them upon solid and pure principles.

4. (transitive, pathology) Of an illness or condition, to infect or harm (a part of the body).

   Synonyms: attack, harm, infect

   Hepatitis affects the liver.

5. (transitive, archaic) To dispose or incline.
6. (transitive, archaic) To tend to by affinity or disposition.

   • 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:

     The drops of every fluid affect a round figure.

7. (transitive, archaic) To assign; to appoint.

   • One of the domestics was affected to his special service.

8. (transitive, Scotland, law) To burden (property) with a fixed charge or payment, or other condition or restriction.

Usage notes[edit]

Affect and effect are sometimes confused. Affect conveys influence over something that already exists, but effect indicates the manifestation of new or original ideas or entities:

• «…new policies have effected major changes in government.»
• «…new policies have affected major changes in government.»

The former indicates that major changes were made as a result of new policies, while the latter indicates that before new policies, major changes were in place, and that the new policies had some influence over these existing changes.

The verbal noun uses of affect are distinguished from the verbal noun uses of effect more clearly than the regular verb forms. An affect is something that acts or acted upon something else. However, an effect is the result of an action (by something else).

Conjugation[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

• affectingly

Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English affecten, from Anglo-Norman affecter (“strive after”), Middle French affecter (“feign”), and their source, Latin affectāre (“to strive after, aim to do, pursue, imitate with dissimulation, feign”), frequentative of afficere (“to act upon, influence”) (see Etymology 1, above).

Pronunciation[edit]

• enPR: əfĕkt’, IPA^(key): /əˈfɛkt/
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Verb[edit]

affect (third-person singular simple present affects, present participle affecting, simple past and past participle affected)

1. (transitive) To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume. To make a false display of. [from 16th c.]

   Synonyms: fake, simulate, feign

   to affect ignorance

   to affect a British accent

   He managed to affect a smile despite feeling quite miserable.

   • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     Thou dost affect my manners.

   • a. 1729, William Congreve, A Hue and Cry After Fair Amoret:

     Careless she is with artful care, / Affecting to seem unaffected.

   • 1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 12:

     He affected prescription lenses, framed in spidery gold, ground from thin slabs of pink synthetic quartz and beveled like the mirrors in a Victorian dollhouse.

2. (obsolete, transitive) To aim for, to try to obtain. [15th–19th c.]

   • 1662, Jacques Olivier, Richard Banke, transl., A Discourse of Women, Shewing Their Imperfections Alphabetically, →OCLC, page 15:

     For it is believed, that he never was married, affecting and embracing Chastity through the whole course of his Life.

   • a. 1701 (date written)​, John Dryden, “The First Book of Homer’s Ilias”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume IV, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 430:

     Wiſe are thy words, and glad I would obey, / But this proud man affects imperial ſway.

   • 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance”, in Essays: First Series:

     I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated.

3. (transitive, rare) To feel affection for (someone); to like, be fond of. [from 16th c.]

   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     There is a Lady in Verona heere
     Whom I affect: but she is nice, and coy,
     And naught esteemes my aged eloquence.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 4, subsection vii:

     A young gentlewoman in Basil was married […] to an ancient man against her will, whom she could not affect; she was continually melancholy, and pined away for grief […]

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, James Nichols, editor, The Church History of Britain, […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), new edition, London: […] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, […], published 1837, →OCLC, book, page 173:

     As for Queen Katharine, he rather respected, then affected; rather honoured, then loved her.

   • 1662, [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, canto 1:

     But when he pleased to show ‘t, his speech / In loftiness of sound was rich; / A Babylonish dialect, / Which learned pedants much affect.

4. (transitive, obsolete) To show a fondness for (something); to choose. [from 16th c.]

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 9, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book III, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     Amongst humane conditions this one is very common, that we are rather pleased with strange things then with our owne; we love changes, affect alterations, and like innovations.

   • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     Go, let him have a table by himself, for he does neither affect company, nor is he fit for’t, indeed.

   • 1825, William Hazlitt, “On the Conduct of life: or Advice to a schoolboy” in Table-Talk Volume II, Paris: A. & W. Galignani, p. 284,^[1]

     Do not affect the society of your inferiors in rank, nor court that of the great.

Derived terms[edit]

• affected
• affectedly
• affectedness
• affectation
• affecter

Translations[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

From Middle English affect, from Latin affectus, adfectus (“a state of mind or body produced by some (external) influence, especially sympathy or love”), from afficere (“to act upon, influence”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• enPR: ă’fĕkt, IPA^(key): /ˈæ.fɛkt/

Noun[edit]

affect (plural affects)

1. (psychology) A subjective feeling experienced in response to a thought or other stimulus; mood, emotion, especially as demonstrated in external physical signs. [from 19th c.]
   • 1999, Joyce Crick, translating Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Oxford 2008, p. 62:

     if we are afraid of robbers in a dream, the robbers are certainly imaginary, but the fear is real. This draws our attention to the fact that the development of affects [translating Affectentwicklung] in dreams is not amenable to the judgement we make of the rest of the dream-content […].

   • 2004, Jeffrey Greenberg & Thomas A Pyszczynski, Handbook of Experimental Existential Psychology, p. 407:

     A third study demonstrated that the effects of self-affirmation on self-regulated performance were not due to positive affect.

2. (obsolete) One’s mood or inclination; mental state. [14th–17th c.]
3. (obsolete) A desire, an appetite. [16th–17th c.]

Usage notes[edit]

Affect and effect can both be used as nouns or verbs, but when used as a noun the word affect is limited to the above psychology uses and the definitions for effect are much more common. See also the usage notes as a verb above.

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

• affect in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “affect”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “affect, v.” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin affectus.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /a.fɛkt/

Noun[edit]

affect m (plural affects)

1. (psychology, philosophy) affect; emotion

[edit]

• affectif

See also[edit]

• intellect

Further reading[edit]

• “affect”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Scots[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /əˈfɛk(t)/

Etymology 1[edit]

Verb[edit]

affect (third-person singular simple present affects, present participle affectin, simple past affectit, past participle affectit)

1. to affect
2. (law) to burden property with a fixed charge or payment, or other condition or restriction

Etymology 2[edit]

Noun[edit]

affect (plural affects)

1. affect, mood

References[edit]

• Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.

affect

to pretend; influence: It will affect the outcome.

Not to be confused with:

effect – a result; an influence: His protest had no effect. [The words affect and effect are among the most frequently confused words. Affect means to bring about a change, to move emotionally, or to infect, as a disease. Its core meaning is to evoke a usually strong mental or emotional response from. Effect means consequence, outcome, upshot. Its core meaning is something brought about by a cause.]

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

af·fect ¹

 (ə-fĕkt′)

tr.v. af·fect·ed, af·fect·ing, af·fects

1. To have an influence on or effect a change in: Inflation affects the buying power of the dollar.

2. To act on the emotions of; touch or move. See Synonyms at move.

3. To attack or infect, as a disease: Rheumatic fever can affect the heart.

n. (ăf′ĕkt′)

1. Feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language: «The soldiers seen on television had been carefully chosen for blandness of affect» (Norman Mailer).

2. Obsolete A disposition, feeling, or tendency.

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[Middle English affecten, from Latin afficere, affect-, to do to, act on : ad-, ad- + facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: Affect and effect are often confused because they sound alike and have related meanings. First, bear in mind that there are two words spelled affect. One means «to put on a false show of,» as in She affected a British accent. The other affect, the one that is confused with effect, is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it is uncommon and means roughly «emotion.» It is pronounced with stress on the first syllable rather than the second. Note that affect does not have a noun sense meaning «an influence that brings about a change.» As a verb, affect is most commonly used in the sense of «to cause a change in:» the ways in which smoking affects health. The verb effect means «to bring about or execute»: medical treatment designed to effect a cure. Its corresponding noun means «a result.» Thus if someone affects something, there is likely to be an effect of some kind, and from this may arise some of the confusion. People who stop smoking will see beneficial health effects, but not beneficial health affects. The verbs produce important differences in meaning. The sentence These measures have been designed to effect savings implies that the measures will cause new savings to come about. Using affect in the very similar sentence These measures will affect savings implies that the measures will cause a change in savings that have already been realized.

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af·fect ²

 (ə-fĕkt′)

tr.v. af·fect·ed, af·fect·ing, af·fects

1. To put on a false show of; simulate: affected a British accent.

2.

a. To have or show a liking for: affects dramatic clothes.

b. Archaic To fancy; love.

3. To tend to by nature; tend to assume: a substance that affects crystalline form.

4. To imitate; copy: «Spenser, in affecting the ancients, writ no language» (Ben Jonson).

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[Middle English affecten, from Latin affectāre, to strive after, frequentative of afficere, affect-, to affect, influence; see affect¹.]

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af·fect′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

affect

vb (tr)

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. (Medicine) (of pain, disease, etc) to attack

n

(Psychology) psychol the emotion associated with an idea or set of ideas. See also affection

[C17: from Latin affectus, past participle of afficere to act upon, from ad- to + facere to do]

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affect

(əˈfɛkt)

vb (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. (Biology) (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.

[C15: from Latin affectāre to strive after, pretend to have; related to afficere to affect¹]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

af•fect¹

(v. əˈfɛkt; n. ˈæf ɛkt)

v.t.

1. to produce an effect or change in: Cold weather affected the crops.

2. to impress the mind or move the feelings of: The music affected him deeply.

3. (of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of.

n.

4. feeling or emotion.

5. Psychiatry. an expressed or observed emotional response.

6. Obs. inward disposition or feeling.

[1350–1400; Middle English, < Latin affectus]

af•fect′a•ble, adj.

af•fect`a•bil′i•ty, n.

usage: Because of similarity in pronunciation, affect and effect are sometimes confused in writing. The spelling affect is used of two different words. The verb affect¹ means “to act on” or “to move” (His words affected the crowd so deeply that many wept); the noun affect¹, pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, refers to emotion or, in psychiatry, emotional response. affect² is not used as a noun; as a verb it means “to pretend” or “to assume” (new students affecting a nonchalance they didn’t feel). The verb effect means “to bring about, accomplish”: Her administration effected radical changes. The noun effect means “result, consequence”: the serious effects of the oil spill.

af•fect²

(əˈfɛkt)

v.t.

1. to pretend or feign: to affect knowledge of history.

2. to assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect: to affect a British accent.

3. to use, wear, or adopt by preference: to affect an outrageous costume.

4. to assume the character or attitude of: to affect the freethinker.

5. (of substances) to tend toward habitually or naturally: to affect colloidal form.

6. Archaic.

a. to have affection for.

b. to aspire to.

v.i.

7. Obs. to incline: She affects to the old ways.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French affecter < Latin affectāre]

af•fect′•er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

affect

– effect

1. ‘affect’

Affect /ə’fekt/ is a verb. To affect someone or something means to cause them to change, often in a negative way.

There are many ways in which computers can affect our lives.

The disease affected Jane’s lungs.

2. ‘effect’

Effect /ɪ’fekt/ is usually a noun. An effect is something that happens or exists because something else has happened.

The report shows the effect of noise on people in the factories.

This has the effect of separating students from teachers.

You can say that something has a particular effect on something else.

Improvement in water supply can have a dramatic effect on health.

These changes will have a significant effect on our business.

Effect is sometimes a verb. If you effect something that you are trying to achieve, you succeed in achieving it. This is a formal use.

The new law will give us the power to effect change.

---

touch

– affect

1. ‘touch’

If you touch something, you gently put your fingers or hand on it.

The metal is so hot I can’t touch it.

Madeleine stretched out her hand to touch his.

If you are touched by something, it makes you feel sad, sympathetic, or grateful.

I was touched that he should remember the party where he had kissed me for the first time.

I was touched by his thoughtfulness.

2. ‘affect’

You do not use ‘touch’ to say that something changes or influences a person or thing. You do not say, for example, ‘We wanted to know how these proposals would touch our town‘. The word you use is affect.

…the ways in which computers can affect our lives.

The disease affected Jane’s lungs.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

affect

Past participle: affected
Gerund: affecting

Imperative
affect
affect

Present
I affect
you affect
he/she/it affects
we affect
you affect
they affect

Preterite
I affected
you affected
he/she/it affected
we affected
you affected
they affected

Present Continuous
I am affecting
you are affecting
he/she/it is affecting
we are affecting
you are affecting
they are affecting

Present Perfect
I have affected
you have affected
he/she/it has affected
we have affected
you have affected
they have affected

Past Continuous
I was affecting
you were affecting
he/she/it was affecting
we were affecting
you were affecting
they were affecting

Past Perfect
I had affected
you had affected
he/she/it had affected
we had affected
you had affected
they had affected

Future
I will affect
you will affect
he/she/it will affect
we will affect
you will affect
they will affect

Future Perfect
I will have affected
you will have affected
he/she/it will have affected
we will have affected
you will have affected
they will have affected

Future Continuous
I will be affecting
you will be affecting
he/she/it will be affecting
we will be affecting
you will be affecting
they will be affecting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been affecting
you have been affecting
he/she/it has been affecting
we have been affecting
you have been affecting
they have been affecting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been affecting
you will have been affecting
he/she/it will have been affecting
we will have been affecting
you will have been affecting
they will have been affecting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been affecting
you had been affecting
he/she/it had been affecting
we had been affecting
you had been affecting
they had been affecting

Conditional
I would affect
you would affect
he/she/it would affect
we would affect
you would affect
they would affect

Past Conditional
I would have affected
you would have affected
he/she/it would have affected
we would have affected
you would have affected
they would have affected

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Translations

types:

show 72 types…

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strike a blow

affect adversely

repercuss

cause repercussions; have an unwanted effect

tell on

produce an effect or strain on somebody

redound

have an effect for good or ill

excite, stimulate

act as a stimulant

process, treat

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

hydrolise, hydrolize

make a compound react with water and undergo hydrolysis

color, colour, distort, tinge

affect as in thought or feeling

endanger, expose, peril, queer, scupper

put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position

hit, strike

affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely

subject

cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to

bother, discommode, disoblige, incommode, inconvenience, put out, trouble

cause inconvenience or discomfort to

act upon, influence, work

have and exert influence or effect

slam-dunk

make a forceful move against

propagate

cause to propagate, as by grafting or layering

bacterise, bacterize

subject to the action of bacteria

iodise, iodize

treat with iodine

nitrate

treat with nitric acid, so as to change an organic compound into a nitrate

tank

treat in a tank

aerate, oxygenate, oxygenise, oxygenize

impregnate, combine, or supply with oxygen

mercerise, mercerize

treat to strengthen and improve the luster

malt

treat with malt or malt extract

fluoridate, fluoridise, fluoridize

subject to fluoridation; treat with fluoride

creosote

treat with creosote

chlorinate

treat or combine with chlorine

carbonate

treat with carbon dioxide

camphorate

treat with camphor

bromate, brominate

treat with bromine

ammoniate

treat with ammonia

irradiate, ray

expose to radiation

scald

treat with boiling water

invigorate, quicken

give life or energy to

refine

treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition

innervate

stimulate to action

irritate

excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus

nitrify, nitrogenise, nitrogenize

treat with nitrogen or a nitrogen compound

reverberate

treat, process, heat, melt, or refine in a reverberatory furnace

curry

treat by incorporating fat

seed

sprinkle with silver iodide particles to disperse and cause rain

dose

treat with an agent; add (an agent) to

sulfur, sulphur

treat with sulphur in order to preserve

vulcanise, vulcanize

subject to vulcanization

chrome

treat with a chromium compound

bituminise, bituminize

treat with bitumen

Agenise, Agenize

age or bleach flour with Agene (nitrogen trichloride)

run

cause to perform

carboxylate

treat (a chemical compound) with carboxyl or carboxylic acid

saccharify

convert into a simple soluble fermentable sugar by hydrolyzing a sugar derivative or complex carbohydrate

beneficiate

process (ores or other raw materials), as by reduction

prejudice, prepossess

influence (somebody’s) opinion in advance

compromise

expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute

digest

convert food into absorbable substances

vitriol

expose to the effects of vitriol or injure with vitriol

put

cause (someone) to undergo something

shipwreck

cause to experience shipwreck

refract

subject to refraction

expose

expose or make accessible to some action or influence

expose

expose to light, of photographic film

fume, fumigate

treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests

air-condition

control the humidity and temperature of

form, imprint

establish or impress firmly in the mind

militate

have force or influence; bring about an effect or change

manipulate, pull strings, pull wires

influence or control shrewdly or deviously

color, colour

modify or bias

swing, swing over

influence decisively

blackjack, blackmail, pressure

exert pressure on someone through threats

carry, persuade, sway

win approval or support for

get at

influence by corruption

fix

influence an event or its outcome by illegal means

distress, straiten

bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship

dominate

be in control

incur

make oneself subject to; bring upon oneself; become liable to

Britannica Dictionary definition of AFFECT

[+ object]

Do you think of yourself as a Korean-American writer, and does this acceptance or rejection of the label affect how you write and market your work? ❋ Unknown (2006)

The teabagger voices were dominating the news, the republicans not shying away from some of the most offensive comments and signs shown at these rallies embraced the teabaggers and in affect all of the craziness that has accompanied them. ❋ Unknown (2010)

I prefer a more scientific materialist viewpoint myself, that affect is rooted in the kinaesthetics of physiology and is therefore as much a part of physical nature as any other sensory experience. ❋ Hal Duncan (2009)

Sadly, it has been used to «clean-up» Portland’s image – to in affect hide the problem of homelessness – during the Rose Festival and other public times. ❋ Unknown (2010)

In fact, many voted for Obama and by dissing the Republicans he is in affect dissing the population of those states. sickoflibs ❋ Unknown (2009)

But one thing it does not affect is certainly the mind and let me tell you, in the film that she had just seen, which was the premiere called Inkheart, it had flying monkeys that were lifted from The Wizard of Oz. Now Megan, 11 years old at the time, told me after the movie was over “Uh Brendan, you know the flying monkeys have been done before.” ❋ Unknown (2010)

Each of those ways of using the revenue has different implications for specific households but the “average” affect is still the same. ❋ Unknown (2009)

How does/did Frankenstein affect art in general during the 19th Century? ❋ Unknown (2009)

It doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to see that there will be a tremendous ripple affect from the passage of this bill. ❋ Unknown (2009)

To the extent that cultures are prevented from interacting with each other, the ‘we the kids’ vs ‘the establishment’ affect is probably fostered. ❋ Unknown (2010)

CO2 can and does warm the planet, but the affect is less than critical. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Usually all you can hope to affect is where the ‘last seat’ in each constituency goes. ❋ Nwhyte (2010)

May I remind him that the people of this country voted for the Republican Senators as well and when the POTUS only meets with the Democratic Senators, he is in affect turning his back on the population who are Republican or Independants. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Bob Woodward’s affect is that of a human tape recorder. ❋ Russ Baker (2010)

During our initial job hunting stages, the post-dot com recession was already in affect, and shortly after graduation, 9-11 really through a wrench into our plans. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The net affect is no different, no, but there is significance in this in regards underlying motivation and how one goes about doing something about it. ❋ Unknown (2010)

There’s no telling the longterm affect of the Deepwater Horizon, which continues to gush after nearly three months. ❋ Unknown (2010)

1. [Twinkies], Ho-hos and ding-dongs will affect your heart in a a negative way
2. Not protecting your computer with an [anti-virus] may affect its performance due to the possible presence of many a harmful [virii]. ❋ Squirrelavenger (2007)

v. [Yo], that affects me, [you know what I’m sayin’]? ❋ Whoak (2010)

The college sophomore down the hall who wears a fedora every day (known, unknowingly, to his hallmates as «[Fedora Guy]»): «I like to think I’m an endearingly mysterious gentleman.»
The kid with the fake accent/other [contrived] manner of speaking: «The way I casually throw in [SAT words] into my everyday speech makes the [Normals] uncomfortable, which is really cool because that means I’m impressing them and earning their respect.»
Self-proclaimed nerd: «I really like showing people that I know a whole lot about really obscure things like math and the internet, because when I meet people who are ‘in the know’ like me and who actually deserve to be in my presence, they’ll know what I’m talking about and they’ll be really impressed, which is epic hacks!»
Dumb college kid at top-tier liberal arts school: «I’m so glad I’ve finally found a community where people like me can [just bounce] ideas off one another. I’m really excited about completely changing the way I think about everything by surrounding myself with such a diverse population of people who are exactly like me. Also I really really care about the actually important stuff, like politics and [Darfur] and voting and political correctness and intellectual conversations and getting drunk once in a while and [being offended] while remaining open-minded.»
Generic affected individual: «What? No, that’s not an affectation, that’s just the way I’ve always done that. No, you’ve got it all wrong—I do it for a reason. Plus—heh heh—it just plain looks cool.»
[No dice], buddy. ❋ Futanari Basashi (2009)

[My lover’s] [constant] affection is a great [reminder] of how much he cares for me. ❋ CountryAngel (2006)

1. She [nibbled] on his [ear] as a sign of [affection].
2. He did not know how to show his affections. ❋ MissyKittyKitKat (2005)

I got so affected last night that I had some [serious] blind-screamin’ [munchies] [later]. ❋ The Vanilla Godzilla (2017)

By [telling] him she loves him she’s [showing] [affection] ❋ Sweeeeeert (2019)

[Anna] [showed] affection to all her friends and [family]. ❋ Abby Lindel (2021)

Everyone appeared to be upset with the passing [Grandma] mother while [Grandad] appear to have no [affect] ❋ Breaking Dancing On Cardboard (2019)

❋ Anonymous (2003)

1	0   0 The emotional tone a person expresses. A person’s affect may be appropriate or inappropriate to the situation. One type of inappropriate affect is a flat affect or blunted affect, a common feature of schizophrenia.

2	0   0 Affect have an influence upon The central bank will start distributing low-interest loans in early March to individuals and small- and medium-sized companies affected by the flooding. — BusinessWeek (Feb 1 [..]

3	0   0 Affect 1[often passive] affect somebody/something to produce a change in someone or something How will these changes affect us? Your opinion will not affect my decision. The south of the country was worst af [..]

4	0   0 Affect «to make an impression on,» 1630s; earlier «to attack» (c. 1600), «act upon, infect» (early 15c.), from affect (n.). Related: Affected; affecting.

5	0   0 Affect late 14c., «mental state,» from Latin noun use of affectus «furnished, supplied, endowed,» figuratively «disposed, constituted, inclined,» past participle of afficere &qu [..]

6	0   0 Affect «to make a pretense of,» 1660s, earlier «to assume the character of (someone),» 1590s; originally in English «to aim at, aspire to, desire» (early 15c.), from Middle Fren [..]

7

0   0 Affect 1. (consumer behavior definition) The feelings a person has toward an attitude object such as a brand, advertisement, salesperson, etc. Affect is growing in importance in attempts to understand and predict consumer behavior. (2). (consumer behavior definition) The affective responses include states such as emotions, specific feelings, and moods tha [..]

8	0   0 Affect to produce a change.

9	0   0 Affect To make happen, or to cause an effect or change to occur, or has or will result. Typically used to identify secondary impacts as a result of a primary change. [D02364]

10	0   0 Affect the conscious subjective aspect of feeling or emotion have an effect upon; "Will the new rules affect me?" involve: connect closely and often incriminatingly; "T [..]

11	0   0 Affect to do something that causes a change

12	0   0 Affect v. To act upon

13	0   0 Affect   to love.

14	0   0 Affect Definition verb

15	0   0 Affect the act of feeling a sentiment spanning from distress to extreme joy, from the most minor to the very involved senses involved with feeling, and also varying from common to highly diseased or neurotic [..]

16	0   0 Affect Affect is a fairly general term for feelings, emotions, or moods. To say someone has negative affect means that they have feelings, emotions, or moods that are negative in nature. I guess you can thin [..]

17	0   0 Affect to be fond of or pleased with.

18	0   0 Affect influence; make a change on.

19	0   0 Affect (v) have an effect upon(v) act physically on; have an effect upon(v) make believe with the intent to deceive(v) have an emotional or cognitive impact upon(n) the conscious subjective aspect of fe [..]

20	0   0 Affect The observable emotional condition of an individual at any given time. [Click Here to Return to List]

21	0   0 Affect To love, to desire. (Latin, affecto.)

22	0   0 Affect The emotional tone characteristic of each person’s presentation. Affect is depressed in dysthymia, elevated in elation. Affect may be described as “flat”, “blunted”, or “inappropriate” t [..]

23	0   0 Affect The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of Instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which [..]

24	0   0 Affect The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which [..]

25	0   0 Affect to love

26	0   0 Affect The observed expression or experience of subjective feeling states including emotions, feelings and moods

27	0   0 Affect n. «desire,» s.v. affect sb. OED. KEY: affect@n

28	0   0 Affect n 1 affectis 1

29	0   0 Affect In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, affect is a term used in relation to feelings/emotions to describe an expressed or observed emotional response displayed to others through facial expression [..]

30	0   0 Affect Love

31	0   0 Affect The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which instincts manifest themselves. (12 Dec 1998)

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The words “affect” and “effect” are both verbs as well as nouns — and their meanings overlap. This can be pretty confusing for those trying to learn the difference between these two English terms. Not to worry, though; The Word Counter is here to help. 

In this post, we’re exploring the word “affect” to uncover its meaning and how it differs from “effect.” So if you’ve ever wondered about the definition and proper usage of “affect,” keep reading. 

What Is the Definition of Affect?

/əˈfekt/ /ˈæfekt/ /ə.fĕkt’/ /ə-fĕkt/

Our word of the day — affect — can be used as either a verb or noun with a few slightly varying meanings. Below you will find a list of the different usages of affect as both a verb as well as a noun:

• As a verb, affect means — to produce a change in or to produce an effect; to act on 

• As a noun, affect refers to (primarily used in relation to psychiatry and psychology) — an observed emotional response or expressed emotional response; most commonly manifested through body language or facial expression.

• As a verb, affect can additionally mean: to make a pretense of; to make a show of, or to put on an appearance (as in to affect ignorance).

What Is the Etymology of Affect?

The late Middle English word affect was first recorded in 1400-1450. Affect is a derivative of Latin affectus (which is the past participle of afficere), as well as Latin affectāre, Middle French affecter, and Middle English affecten.

What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Affect?

To further your understanding of the word “affect,” you may find it helpful to review its synonyms and antonyms. In short, a synonym is a word that has the same (or nearly the same) meaning as another word, whereas antonyms are words with opposite meanings. 

Synonyms of Affect 

• Influence
• Touch
• Upset
• Impinge upon
• Shake up
• Take hold of
• Guide
• Impact on
• Exert influence on
• Damage
• Devastate
• Trouble
• Stir
• Strike
• Modify
• Tug at your heartstrings
• Bowl over
• Work on 
• Prevail
• Mark
• Regard
• Relate
• Go to your head
• Turn someone’s head
• Counterfeit
• Fake
• Feign 
• Sham
• Give the appearance of
• Make a show of
• Aspire to
• Profess
• Contrive
• Imitate
• Fabricate 
• Go against the grain
• Be disturbing
• Playact
• Bluff
• Assume
• Adopt
• Embrace
• Be of interest to
• Be relevant to 
• Be the business of
• Espouse
• Put on
• Make one’s own
• Pick up on
• Go down the line
• Engage in
• Tap into
• Go in for
• Have an adverse effect on
• Strike down
• Cause
• Induce
• Trigger 
• Be distasteful
• Be injurious to
• Provoke
• Compel
• Elicit 
• Cause illness to
• Cause problems 
• Enact
• Evoke 
• Enkindle
• Break the ice
• Break-in
• Be at the bottom of
• Do
• Effectuate
• Work up
• Bring to pass
• Make unwell
• Frequentative 
• Be sickening
• Cause discomfort to 
• Be unsuitable
• Agonize
• Martyr
• Smite
• Cause suffering to
• Grieve
• Burden
• Persecute
• Irk
• Irritate
• Apply to
• Impact on
• Pertain to
• Bear on
• Psych out
• Stun 
  

Antonyms of Affect

• Desensitise 
• Numb
• Stupefy
• Blunt
• Deaden
• Be indifferent to
• Paralyze 
• Represent
• Embody
• Epitomize 
• Exemplify
• Typify
• Stand for
• Portray
• Show
• Emblematize
• Admit
• Allow
• Guard
• Safeguard
• Keep safe
• Keep from harm
• Stop
• Save
• Refrain from
• Throw out
• Toss out
• Give up
• Dispense with 
• Get rid of
• Limit
• Fend
• Render null and void
• Declare null and void 
• Shield
• Screen
• Shelter
• Tell the truth about
• Give away
• Unfold
• Release
• Be unaffected
• Be indifferent
• Not touch 
• Spill
• Bare
• Be real
• Be honest
• Tell the truth
• Unveil
• Betray
• Discourage
• Deter
• Obstruct
• Counteract
• Aid
• Soothe
• Have no consequence on 
• Support
• Take care of
• Calm
• Compose
• Yield
• Enlighten
• Surrender
• Have no bearing on
• Have no relevance on
• Organize
• Be happy
• Make happy
• Stay away from
• Please
• Be irrelevant to
• Have no effect on 
• Delight
• Assist
• Cancel out
• Clamp down on
• Crackdown on
• Comfort
• Solace 
  

How Can You Use Affect in a Sentence?

Now that you understand what “affect” means, it’s time to practice using it in a sentence. 

Take the next few minutes testing your newfound knowledge by conjuring up as many sentences as you can using our word of the day. To get you started, we went ahead and compiled a short list of example sentences for you to study below:

“Various victims of schizophrenia most commonly lapse into flat affect — which is this zombie-like state of ostensible apathy.” 

“I know the definition behind affect, but I am not quite sure what effect means… could you please explain?”

“Her hugs affect me in such a positive way; I just can’t explain it.” 

“Bella’s speech was full of strong emotions and affected me greatly.”

“My childhood teacher may not be aware of it, but she affected my self-image in a way that I can never repay her. I would not be the man I am today without her guidance and how she believed in me.” 

“Come on now, don’t let a little bad weather affect your mood for the entire day. There is still plenty we can do indoors; why don’t we finally get some art projects started!” 

What Are the Translations of Affect?

The word “affect” is used all around the globe. With this in mind, let’s review some of the most common translations, shall we?

Translations of affect:

• Afrikaans — Beïnvloed
• Arabic — تؤثر
• Bulgarian — засягам
• Chinese (simplified) — 影响
• Croatian — utjecati
• Czech — ovlivnit
• Danish — påvirke
• Dutch — beïnvloeden
• Finnish — vaikuttaa
• French — affecter
• German — beeinflussen, Affek 
• Greek — επηρεάζω
• Italian — influenzare
• Japanese — 障る
• Korean — 영향
• Norwegian — påvirke
• Polish — wpływać
• Portuguese — afetar
• Russian — влиять (affékt)
• Spanish — afectar
• Swedish — påverka
• Thai — กระทบ
• Turkish — etkilemek
• Ukrainian — вплинути
• Vietnamese — Ảnh hưởng đến
  

Recap

Our word of the day — affect — is most often used as a verb, meaning “to have an impact on,” as in “the rainy weather will affect our camping plans.” Not to be confused with the noun effect, affect is the outward expression of emotion and feelings. 

Sources:

Affect Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

AFFECT: Definition | Cambridge English Dictionary

55 Synonyms & Antonyms for AFFECT | Thesaurus.com