affecting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
In real experiments, however, the value shifts slightly because other particles briefly appear and disappear in empty space, subtly affecting the muon's behavior.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
And yet, all that pales in comparison to what he has been forced to endure while his mother, Janet, twice battled cancer, affecting everyone emotionally and financially.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
The state's tourism department recently said that the global geopolitical situation has been affecting overseas flows.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Thanks to the subtlety of Ms. Garman’s character portraits, Honor and her “dear houseguests” are as affecting as they are amusing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
We will work with the teachers and the administration to see that the issues affecting all of us in middle school are dealt with fairly and honestly.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
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.
