affected

[ uh-fek-tid ]

/ əˈfɛk tɪd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR affected ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

acted upon; influenced.

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

(of the mind or feelings) impressed; moved; touched: She was deeply affected by their generosity.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?

American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?

Often it means something is impossible.

It’s another way to agree with someone.

It serves as an apology.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of affected

First recorded in 1570–80; affect¹ + -ed²

Words nearby affected

affaire de coeur, affaire d'honneur, affairs, affect, affectation, affected, affecting, affection, affectional, affectional orientation, affectionate

Definition for affected (2 of 2)

affected²

[ uh-fek-tid ]

/ əˈfɛk tɪd /

adjective

assumed artificially; unnatural; feigned: affected sophistication; an affected British accent.

assuming or pretending to possess that which is not natural: Her affected wealth and social pedigree are so obviously false that it's embarrassing.

inclined or disposed: well affected toward the speaker's cause.

held in affection; fancied: a novel much affected by our grandparents.

Origin of affected

First recorded in 1525–35; affect² + -ed²

OTHER WORDS FROM affected

af·fect·ed·ly, adverbaf·fect·ed·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for affected

Workers in our neighborhood supermarkets, drug stores and health care facilities are among the most affected, and sometimes interact with thousands of customers or patients a day.
The Pandemic Hasn’t Gone Away – Neither Should Hazard Pay|Todd Walters and Brent E. Beltrán|August 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Though even in the worst affected places, prosperity only dropped to levels last seen in recent years.
The last time GDP was this bad was only a few years ago|David Yanofsky|July 17, 2020|Quartz
It’s unclear whether the hackers also accessed affected users’ private messages.
Twitter hack jolts companies into a social media security check|Lara O'Reilly|July 17, 2020|Digiday
In affected regions, hundreds of millions of people could be threatened with dying heat.
Deadly heat: Expected by century’s end, it’s here already|Jonathan Lambert|June 19, 2020|Science News For Students

I mean, here we are in New York City, where you were very affected.
The Prime Minister Who Cried Brexit (Ep. 392)|Stephen J. Dubner|October 10, 2019|Freakonomics
He affected an anchorman finesse in apologizing for “past mistakes” as a Ku Klux Klan leader.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
According to the AP, as of October, there were only four people still alive who be affected by this legislation.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Only now, when we were able to talk frankly and at length, did I come to realize how profoundly it had affected him.
Ted Hughes’s Brother on Losing Sylvia Plath|Gerald Hughes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2007, FWS reported that the beetle outbreak had affected only 16 percent of the whitebark pines.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The government subsequently revised its estimate, saying that 74 percent of the trees had been affected.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No ceremonies I ever beheld impressed and affected me so much as the burial of the little twins at sea.
Five Years in New Zealand|Robert B. Booth
The durability of fur used as linings, which is affected by other conditions, is set forth separately.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various
This was the first officer of our own set our city lost in war, and the news, I think, affected me more than any.
Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker|S. Weir Mitchell
She humored him, and affected a great interest in all this, and had not the courage to force the other topic on.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 102, April, 1866|Various
All four of us were stricken with surprise at how it affected us.
Astounding Stories, July, 1931|Various

British Dictionary definitions for affected (1 of 2)

affected¹

/ (əˈfɛktɪd) /

adjective (usually postpositive)

deeply moved, esp by sorrow or griefhe was greatly affected by her departure

changed, esp detrimentally

Word Origin for affected

C17: from affect 1 + -ed ²

British Dictionary definitions for affected (2 of 2)

affected²

/ (əˈfɛktɪd) /

adjective

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

feignedaffected indifference

archaic inclined; disposed

Derived forms of affected

affectedly, adverbaffectedness, noun

Word Origin for affected

C16: from affect ² + -ed ²

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

affected

adjective

QUIZZES

CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?

Origin of affected

Words nearby affected

Definition for affected (2 of 2)

adjective

Origin of affected

OTHER WORDS FROM affected

Example sentences from the Web for affected

British Dictionary definitions for affected (1 of 2)

adjective (usually postpositive)

Word Origin for affected

British Dictionary definitions for affected (2 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of affected

Word Origin for affected

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

affected

adjective

QUIZZES

CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?

Origin of affected

Words nearby affected

Definition for affected (2 of 2)

adjective

Origin of affected

OTHER WORDS FROM affected

Words related to affected

Example sentences from the Web for affected

British Dictionary definitions for affected (1 of 2)

adjective (usually postpositive)

Word Origin for affected

British Dictionary definitions for affected (2 of 2)

adjective

Derived forms of affected

Word Origin for affected