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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.

It also described a "toxic and chaotic" culture at the heart of the UK government during its response to the pandemic, which it said affected the quality of advice and decision-making.

From BBC

"Property owners are suffering a genuinely devastating experience, and our teams have been working closely with those affected throughout," explained the Liberal Democrat councillor.

From BBC

"The restaurant was open for everyone; for locals and foreigners, everyone. The blast happened there, and we were also affected," he told AFP.

From Barron's

The companies affected include 22 forestry firms covering a combined area of more than one million hectares, Prasetyo said.

From Barron's

Most of the buildings cut off on Tuesday were those affected on January 9.

From Barron's

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.