affected

¹ American  

[uh-fek-tid] / əˈfɛk tɪd /

adjective

1. acted upon; influenced.

2. influenced in a harmful way; impaired, harmed, or attacked, as by climate or disease.

3. (of the mind or feelings) impressed; moved; touched.

   She was deeply affected by their generosity.

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affected ² American  

[uh-fek-tid] / əˈfɛk tɪd /

adjective

1. assumed artificially; unnatural; feigned.

   affected sophistication; an affected British accent.

2. assuming or pretending to possess that which is not natural.

   Her affected wealth and social pedigree are so obviously false that it's embarrassing.

3. inclined or disposed.

   well affected toward the speaker's cause.

4. held in affection; fancied.

   a novel much affected by our grandparents.

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affected ¹ British  

/ əˈfɛktɪd /

adjective

1. behaving, speaking, etc, in an artificial or assumed way, esp in order to impress others

2. feigned

   affected indifference

3. archaic inclined; disposed

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affected ² British  

/ əˈfɛktɪd /

adjective

1. deeply moved, esp by sorrow or grief

   he was greatly affected by her departure

2. changed, esp detrimentally

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Other Word Forms

• affectedly adverb
• affectedness noun

Etymology

Origin of affected¹

First recorded in 1570–80; affect ¹ + -ed ²

Origin of affected²

First recorded in 1525–35; affect ² + -ed ²

Explanation

Something that's affected is influenced or acted upon. If a bottle of ointment says "apply to the affected area," you should put the medication only on the parts of your skin that touched the poison ivy. One of the most common vocabulary mix-ups is effect and affect: effect is usually a noun, and affect is usually a verb that means "to influence" of "act upon." Affected is the adjective form of the verb. After a flood, affected homeowners might try to get insurance. A sad movie might leave you deeply affected. The word can also refer to behavior that's done only to impress someone: if you're acting affected, you might use big, fake melodramatic gestures.

Example Sentences

The acquisition could also reduce local news competition and diminish coverage in affected markets, said the plaintiffs.

From Barron's • Apr. 18, 2026

She was more concerned how it affected me - she was one of the very early people to pick up on it and go: "Hang on, you're not always comfortable with this, are you?"

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

"We encourage full participation and welcome any feedback, comments, or insights from those affected by, or with an interest in, the scheme."

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

If any of the content from this case has affected you, please visit the BBC Action Line.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The territory affected fay the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 included parts of what are currently known as the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• afflicted
• concerned
• damaged
• distressed
• impressed
• overwhelmed
• stirred
• touched
• troubled