affected

1
[ uh-fek-tid ]
See synonyms for: affectedaffectedness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. acted upon; influenced.

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

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

Origin of affected

1
First recorded in 1570–80; affect1 + -ed2

Words Nearby affected

Other definitions for affected (2 of 2)

affected2
[ uh-fek-tid ]

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.

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

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

Origin of affected

2
First recorded in 1525–35; affect2 + -ed2

Other words from affected

  • af·fect·ed·ly, adverb
  • af·fect·ed·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use affected in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for affected (1 of 2)

affected1

/ (əˈfɛktɪd) /


adjective(usually postpositive)
  1. deeply moved, esp by sorrow or grief: he was greatly affected by her departure

  2. changed, esp detrimentally

Origin of affected

1
C17: from affect 1 + -ed ²

British Dictionary definitions for affected (2 of 2)

affected2

/ (əˈfɛktɪd) /


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

  2. feigned: affected indifference

  1. archaic inclined; disposed

Origin of affected

2
C16: from affect ² + -ed ²

Derived forms of affected

  • affectedly, adverb
  • affectedness, noun

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