affecting

American  

[uh-fek-ting] / əˈfɛk tɪŋ /

adjective

1. moving or exciting the feelings or emotions.

   Synonyms:

   piteous, pathetic, touching, stirring

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affecting British  

/ əˈfɛktɪŋ /

adjective

1. evoking feelings of pity, sympathy, or pathos; moving

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Other Word Forms

• affectingly
  adverb
• nonaffecting
  adjective
• nonaffectingly
  adverb
• unaffecting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of affecting

First recorded in 1555–65; affect ¹ + -ing ²

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.

Example Sentences

Although Hektoria is relatively small compared to some of Antarctica's massive glaciers, scientists warn that similar processes affecting larger glaciers could have far greater consequences worldwide.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Aphasia is a condition that makes it difficult to communicate, affecting speaking, reading and writing, and often follows a stroke or brain injury.

From BBC • May 17, 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

But beyond that, geopolitics has become a much more important factor affecting the stock market, particularly hot tech stocks.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

I said, affecting the voice of Mr. Mason.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

Related Words

• poignant
• stirring
• touching