affecting

[ uh-fek-ting ]

/ əˈfɛk tɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR affecting ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

moving or exciting the feelings or emotions.

RELATED WORDS

poignant, touching, stirring

Nearby words

Origin of affecting

First recorded in 1555–65; affect¹ + -ing²

SYNONYMS FOR affecting

touching, pathetic, piteous, stirring.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR affecting ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsaf·fect·ing·ly, adverbnon·af·fect·ing, adjectivenon·af·fect·ing·ly, adverbun·af·fect·ing, adjective

affect

[ verb uh-fekt; noun af-ekt ]

/ verb əˈfɛkt; noun ˈæf ɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to act on; produce an effect or change in: Cold weather affected the crops.

to impress the mind or move the feelings of: The music affected him deeply.

(of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of.

noun

Psychology. feeling or emotion.

Psychiatry. an expressed or observed emotional response: Restricted, flat, or blunted affect may be a symptom of mental illness, especially schizophrenia.

Obsolete. affection; passion; sensation; inclination; inward disposition or feeling.

Origin of affect

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin affectus acted upon, subjected to; mental or emotional state (past participle and action noun of afficere), equivalent to af- af- + fec- (combining form of facere to make, do) + -tus action noun suffix or -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR affect

1. influence, sway; modify, alter. 2. touch, stir.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR affect ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsaf·fect·a·ble, adjectiveaf·fect·a·bil·i·ty, noun

Usage note

Affect1 and effect, each both noun and verb, share the sense of “influence,” and because of their similarity in pronunciation are sometimes confused in writing. As a verb affect1 means “to act on” or “to move” ( His words affected the crowd so deeply that many wept ); affect2 means “to pretend” or “to assume” ( new students affecting a nonchalance they didn't feel ). The verb effect means “to bring about, accomplish”: Her administration effected radical changes. The noun effect means “result, consequence”: the serious effects of the oil spill. The noun affect1 pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, is a technical term in psychology and psychiatry. Affect2 is not used as a noun.

affect

[ uh-fekt ]

/ əˈfɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to give the appearance of; pretend or feign: to affect knowledge of the situation.

to assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect: to affect a Southern accent.

to use, wear, or adopt by preference; choose; prefer: the peculiar costume he affected.

to assume the character or attitude of: to affect the freethinker.

(of things) to tend toward habitually or naturally: a substance that affects colloidal form.

(of animals and plants) to occupy or inhabit; live in or on: Lions affect Africa. Moss affects the northern slopes.

Archaic.

to have affection for; fancy.
to aim at; aspire to.

verb (used without object)

Obsolete. to incline, tend, or favor (usually followed by to): He affects to the old ways.

Origin of affect

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French affecter < Latin affectāre to strive after, feign (frequentative of afficere to do to), equivalent to af- af- + fec- (see affect¹) + -tāre frequentative suffix

SYNONYMS FOR affect

1. See pretend.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR affect ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsaf·fect·er, noun

Usage note

See affect¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for affecting

Geisbert was also quick to mention how the methodology of the study could be affecting the current results.
Uh Oh: Ebola Vaccine Trials Stop|Leigh Cowart|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
President Ronald Reagan took similar action, affecting about 100,000 families.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: November 23|PunditFact.com|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Neither, too, was as chilling, as affecting, or, at times, as much of a slog.
'Mockingjay—Part 1’ Is the Most Violent ‘Hunger Games’ Yet|Kevin Fallon|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When asked about how his announcement from last November was affecting the race, Michaud seemed momentarily at a loss.
America’s First Post-Gay Governor|David Freedlander|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Asthma is one of the most common diseases among children, affecting roughly one in every eleven kids.
More Germs, Less Asthma? Study Shows Babies Exposed to Bacteria and Dander at Less Risk|Brandy Zadrozny|June 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The last line was sung in a very solemn and affecting monotone.
Two Knapsacks|John Campbell
After a quick look and smile Margaret sewed busily, affecting not to see the other.
Prairie Gold|Various
It was in vain that she turned her back upon him, and gave him curt ungracious answers, often affecting not to hear him at all.
Flora Lyndsay|Susanna Moodie
What peculiar conditions are there affecting women which will oblige them to accept work on lower terms than men?
Problems of Poverty|John A. Hobson
It is to me, now, all that my fancy hoped to find it—its temples and columns just enough in ruin to be affecting and beautiful.
Pencillings by the Way|N. Parker Willis

British Dictionary definitions for affecting

affecting

/ (əˈfɛktɪŋ) /

adjective

evoking feelings of pity, sympathy, or pathos; moving

Derived Formsaffectingly, adverb

affect

verb (əˈfɛkt) (tr)

to act upon or influence, esp in an adverse waydamp affected the sparking plugs

to move or disturb emotionally or mentallyher death affected him greatly

(of pain, disease, etc) to attack

noun (ˈæfɛkt, əˈfɛkt)

psychol the emotion associated with an idea or set of ideasSee also affection

Word Origin for affect

C17: from Latin affectus, past participle of afficere to act upon, from ad- to + facere to do

affect

/ (əˈfɛkt) /

verb (mainly tr)

to put on an appearance or show of; make a pretence ofto affect ignorance

to imitate or assume, esp pretentiouslyto affect an accent

to have or use by preferenceshe always affects funereal clothing

to adopt the character, manner, etc, ofhe was always affecting the politician

(of plants or animals) to live or grow inpenguins affect an arctic climate

to incline naturally or habitually towardsfalling drops of liquid affect roundness

Word Origin for affect

C15: from Latin affectāre to strive after, pretend to have; related to afficere to affect 1

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

Word Origin and History for affecting

affect

v.1

"to make an impression on," 1630s; earlier "to attack" (c.1600), "act upon, infect" (early 15c.), from affect (n.). Related: Affected; affecting.

affect

late 14c., "mental state," from Latin noun use of affectus "furnished, supplied, endowed," figuratively "disposed, constituted, inclined," past participle of afficere "to do; treat, use, manage, handle; act on; have influence on, do something to," a verb of broad meaning, from ad- "to" (see ad-) + facere (past participle factus) "do" (see factitious). Perhaps obsolete except in psychology. Related: Affects.

affect

v.2

"to make a pretense of," 1660s, earlier "to assume the character of (someone)" (1590s); originally in English "to aim at, aspire to, desire" (early 15c.), from Middle French affecter (15c.), from Latin affectare "to strive after, aim at," frequentative of afficere (past participle affectus) "to do something to, act on" (see affect (n.)). Related: Affected; affecting.

Medicine definitions for affecting

affect

[ ə-fĕkt′ ]

v.

To have an influence on or affect a change in.

To attack or infect, as a disease.

n.

Feeling or emotion, especially as manifested by facial expression or body language.

affecting

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of affecting

affect

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of affect

Usage note

affect

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of affect

Usage note

Examples from the Web for affecting

affecting

adjective

affect

verb (əˈfɛkt) (tr)

noun (ˈæfɛkt, əˈfɛkt)

Word Origin for affect

affect

verb (mainly tr)

Word Origin for affect

affect

affect

affect

affect

v.

n.