affecting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of affecting
Explanation
If the final scene has you sniffling and reaching for the Kleenex, the movie you’re watching could be described as affecting, meaning it makes you emotional. You might be familiar with the noun affect, which refers to a feeling or emotion. Affecting is just the adjective form of that word — so you can probably guess that it describes things that provoke strong feelings or emotions. You might watch an affecting basketball game, for example, or see an affecting performance of a play. The feeling caused by something affecting can be good or bad, happy or sad. The key is that it stirs up a strong feeling.
Vocabulary lists containing affecting
Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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Krik? Krak!
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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.
The analysis brought together evidence from 59 systematic reviews covering more than 50 acute pain conditions affecting both children and adults.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
“I can say I’m worried that your current conditions are not affecting just your diabetes, but they’re also affecting your heart and your kidneys.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Fraser Sutherland, the group's coalition manager, said: "Climate change is already affecting people's health and well-being, livelihoods and financial stability in Scotland, with more frequent storms, floods, droughts and wildfires wreaking havoc across the country."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Demand for semiconductor chips used for memory storage is now so high that it’s causing shortages and price spikes—and that is affecting producer costs.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
“All that candy-necklace sugar is affecting your brain,” I said.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
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.
