Meaning & use
affect
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To have an influence on someone or something, producing some change in it.
Grammar: Always takes an object: the storm affected travel plans.
Patterns
- affect someone
- affect something
- be affected by something
Lack of sleep can affect your memory.
The new tax will affect small businesses most.
Her decision did not affect me at all.
verbtransitive
To move someone emotionally, often with sadness or sympathy.
Grammar: Usually passive or with a person as object: the news deeply affected her.
Patterns
- affect someone deeply
- be deeply affected by something
The documentary affected everyone in the room.
He was deeply affected by the loss of his friend.
verbtransitiveformal
To pretend to have a feeling, manner or quality that you do not really have.
Grammar: Takes an object, often a noun or to-infinitive: affect an accent.
Patterns
- affect something
- affect to do something
He affected an air of boredom throughout the meeting.
She affected not to notice the mistake.
verbtransitivemedical
Of a disease, to attack or harm a body part or a group of people.
Grammar: The disease is the subject and the body part or group is the object: the illness affects the lungs.
Patterns
- affect something
- affect someone
The condition mostly affects older adults.
Arthritis can affect the hands and knees.
Word forms
| third person singular | affects |
|---|---|
| past tense | affected |
| past participle | affected |
| -ing form | affecting |
Common combinations
- adversely affect
- Noise can adversely affect your concentration.
- directly affect
- The policy directly affects workers.
- deeply affected
- Residents were deeply affected by the flood.
- affect the outcome
- A single vote could affect the outcome.
- be badly affected
- Crops were badly affected by the drought.
Synonyms and how they differ
- influence
- Influence often suggests shaping choices or opinions gradually, while affect is any change, direct or not.
- impact
- As a verb, impact sounds stronger and more business-like and implies a noticeable effect.
- alter
- Alter means to actually change something, whereas affect may only mean having some influence on it.
- move
- Move fits only the emotional sense and sounds more literary.
Word family
- affection noun
- fondness or gentle love
- affected adjective
- fake or artificial in manner; also, influenced by something
- affecting adjective
- causing strong emotion
- unaffected adjective
- not changed, or natural and sincere
Commonly confused: affect or effect?
affect vs effect
Effect is usually a noun meaning a result: the effect of the rain. Affect is usually the verb: rain affects traffic. 'Effect' as a verb means to bring about: effect change.
Practice
The heavy snow will ____ our travel plans.
Choose one answer.
A verb is needed and the meaning is 'influence', so affect fits. 'Effect' is normally a noun, so it is the tempting wrong answer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “affect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.