Affect

'æ.fɛkt

verbIntermediate🔥Very CommonAction
2 meanings1 question

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To produce a change in (someone or something) by having an impact on them.

'æ.fɛkt

verbneutralIntermediate
Action

To have an impact on or influence something

Her words affected me deeply.

More Examples

2

The weather affected the crops.

3

The new policy will affect all employees.

How It's Used

General

"His poor performance highly affected the team's morale."

2

To pretend or put on a certain emotion or attitude.

'æ.fɛkt

verbneutralAdvanced
Emotion

To pretend or feign a certain emotion

He affected an air of nonchalance.

More Examples

2

They affected pity for the unfortunate man.

3

She affected excitement despite feeling nervous.

How It's Used

General

"She affected a look of surprise when she saw the cake."

Tip:Imagine an actor 'affecting' a sad mood for a drama role.

Late 15th century from Latin effectus ‘accomplished’, past participle of efficere ‘to bring about’.

Originally derived from the Latin word effectus, it has been used in various forms in legal, medical and dramatic contexts.

Memory tip

Imagine a factory 'affecting' the environment by producing waste.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"To bring about or accomplish"

Common misspellings

aftfecteffect

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written