affected
1 Americanadjective
-
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.
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.
adjective
-
behaving, speaking, etc, in an artificial or assumed way, esp in order to impress others
-
feigned
affected indifference
-
archaic inclined; disposed
adjective
-
deeply moved, esp by sorrow or grief
he was greatly affected by her departure
-
changed, esp detrimentally
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of affected1
First recorded in 1570–80; affect 1 + -ed 2
Origin of affected2
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.
Vocabulary lists containing affected
The Catcher in the Rye
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Words of Nick Carraway
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Affected staff can apply for open roles within the company, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Affected staff will be notified by email on May 20.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Affected staffers soon confirmed the sweeping losses, which hit more than 1,000 employees worldwide.
From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026
Affected people were between the ages of 19 months old and 67 years old.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
Affected perhaps by the disease of the climate he had a fit of shivering on leaving the library, and declared that the atmosphere was enough to give any one a mortal fever.
From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Turnbull, Robert
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.
