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View synonyms for affect

affect

1

[ verb uh-fekt; noun af-ekt ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to act on; produce an effect or change in:

    Cold weather affected the crops.

    Synonyms: alter, modify, sway, influence

  2. to impress the mind or move the feelings of:

    The music affected him deeply.

    Synonyms: stir, touch

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


noun

  1. Psychology. feeling or emotion.
  2. Psychiatry. an expressed or observed emotional response:

    Restricted, flat, or blunted affect may be a symptom of mental illness, especially schizophrenia.

  3. Obsolete. affection; passion; sensation; inclination; inward disposition or feeling.

affect

2

[ uh-fekt ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to give the appearance of; pretend or feign:

    to affect knowledge of the situation.

  2. to assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect:

    to affect a Southern accent.

  3. to use, wear, or adopt by preference; choose; prefer:

    the peculiar costume he affected.

  4. to assume the character or attitude of:

    to affect the freethinker.

  5. (of things) to tend toward habitually or naturally:

    a substance that affects colloidal form.

  6. (of animals and plants) to occupy or inhabit; live in or on:

    Lions affect Africa. Moss affects the northern slopes.

  7. Archaic.
    1. to have affection for; fancy.
    2. to aim at; aspire to.

verb (used without object)

  1. Obsolete. to incline, tend, or favor (usually followed by to ):

    He affects to the old ways.

affect

1

verb

  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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. psychol the emotion associated with an idea or set of ideas See also affection
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

affect

2

/ əˈfɛkt /

verb

  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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Confusables Note

Affect1 and effect, each both noun and verb, share the sense of “influence,” and because of their similarity in pronunciation are sometimes confused in writing. As a verb affect1 means “to act on” or “to move” ( His words affected the crowd so deeply that many wept ); affect2 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. The noun affect1 pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, is a technical term in psychology and psychiatry. Affect2 is not used as a noun.
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Other Words From

  • af·fecta·ble adjective
  • af·fecta·bili·ty noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of affect1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin affectus “acted upon, subjected to; mental or emotional state” (past participle and action noun of afficere ), equivalent to af- “toward” + fec- (combining form of facere “to make, do”) + -tus action noun suffix or -tus past participle suffix; af-

Origin of affect2

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French affecter, from Latin affectāre “to strive after, feign” (frequentative of afficere “to do to”), equivalent to af- af- + fec- ( affect 1 ) + -tāre frequentative suffix
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Word History and Origins

Origin of affect1

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

Origin of affect2

C15: from Latin affectāre to strive after, pretend to have; related to afficere to affect 1
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Synonym Study

See pretend.
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Example Sentences

That's despite considerable debate about how Trump’s plans for tariffs, lower taxes and mass migrant deportations might affect the world’s largest economy.

From BBC

Those that affect the digestive system can cause diarrhoea and stomach pains, and, according to the health service, what causes them is "not fully understood".

From BBC

The first significant snowfall of the season is expected to affect the Cantabrian mountains as well as the Sierra Morena mountains and the Central and Betic chains as colder air moves across the Peninsula.

From BBC

People in the clinical at-risk groups include anyone with conditions that affect breathing, some heart conditions, kidney or liver disease, diabetes and some conditions that affect the brain or nerves, such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy.

From BBC

The technology used in the north can affect whether smart meters work properly - and could leave customers having to submit manual readings and receiving estimated bills.

From BBC

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