affecting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of affecting
Explanation
If the final scene has you sniffling and reaching for the Kleenex, the movie you’re watching could be described as affecting, meaning it makes you emotional. You might be familiar with the noun affect, which refers to a feeling or emotion. Affecting is just the adjective form of that word — so you can probably guess that it describes things that provoke strong feelings or emotions. You might watch an affecting basketball game, for example, or see an affecting performance of a play. The feeling caused by something affecting can be good or bad, happy or sad. The key is that it stirs up a strong feeling.
Vocabulary lists containing affecting
Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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Krik? Krak!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chains Delhaize, Colruyt and Intermarche also experienced technical problems affecting their fridges in Belgium, while Delhaize reported that four of its stores in Luxembourg were also affected.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Among the cancers examined were those affecting the esophagus, mouth, and breast.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
I write Need to Know each morning to cut through the noise and focus on the market moves, investing ideas, and economic developments affecting your money.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
She said her "fantastic mother" has the same condition and has been an inspiration to her over the years, "working around anything that might be affecting her physically or mentally".
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
“And now we turn to regular contributor Royal, for an update on how the new Wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
