affecting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- affectingly adverb
- nonaffecting adjective
- nonaffectingly adverb
- unaffecting adjective
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.
Higher jet-fuel prices amid the ongoing conflict with Iran are affecting all airlines, but some found themselves better prepared than others.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
“Maritime access restrictions are being enforced affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz,” U.K.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI in Halle identified a substance that targets harmful pathogens without affecting the rest of the microbial community.
From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026
The move exacerbates global economic damage, with an oil shock already affecting Asia and with Gulf countries facing significant GDP shrinkage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
The second group consists of chemicals that act on the chromosomes, probably affecting the gene chemicals and causing the chromosomes to break up.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
