Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for affected. Search instead for affecter.
Synonyms

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.
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.
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

"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
affected 2 British  
/ əˈfɛktɪd /

adjective

  1. deeply moved, esp by sorrow or grief

    he was greatly affected by her departure

  2. changed, esp detrimentally

"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

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

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.

So you probably want to know: Are you affected?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Simon West, medical director for Health and Care Jersey, apologised to those who had been affected.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Are the Lomans meant to be Irish immigrants or is that a Boston dialect that is being affected when the cartoonish New Yorkese takes a breather?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In fact, 21% said their finances were affected “a great deal.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

She was so sick that it affected her musical ability.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions 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.