impact
Americannoun
-
impacts
plural
-
the striking of one thing against another; forceful contact; collision.
The impact of the colliding cars broke the windshield.
-
an impinging.
the impact of light on the eye.
-
influence; effect.
the impact of Einstein on modern physics.
-
an impacting; forcible impinging.
the tremendous impact of the shot.
-
the force exerted by a new idea, concept, technology, or ideology.
the impact of the industrial revolution.
verb (used with object)
-
impacts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impacted,
past participle, past
-
impacting
present participle
-
to drive or press closely or firmly into something; pack in.
-
to fill up; congest; throng.
A vast crowd impacted St. Peter's Square.
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to collide with; strike forcefully.
a rocket designed to impact the planet Mars.
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to have an impact or effect on; influence; alter.
The decision may impact your whole career. The auto industry will be impacted by the new labor agreements.
verb (used without object)
-
impacts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impacted,
past participle, past
-
impacting
present participle
-
to have impact or make contact forcefully.
The ball impacted against the bat with a loud noise.
-
to have an impact or effect.
Increased demand will impact on sales.
noun
-
the act of one body, object, etc, striking another; collision
-
the force with which one thing hits another or with which two objects collide
-
the impression made by an idea, cultural movement, social group, etc
the impact of the Renaissance on Medieval Europe
verb
-
to drive or press (an object) firmly into (another object, thing, etc) or (of two objects) to be driven or pressed firmly together
-
to have an impact or strong effect (on)
Usage
The verb impact has developed the transitive sense “to have an impact or effect on” ( The structured reading program has done more to impact the elementary schools than any other single factor ) and the intransitive sense “to have an impact or effect” ( The work done at the computer center will impact on the economy of Illinois and the nation ). Although recent, the new uses are entirely standard and most likely to occur in formal speech and writing. See also impactful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
impactsimple
-
impactssimple
-
have impactedperfect
-
has impactedperfect
-
am impactingprogressive
-
are impactingprogressive
-
is impactingprogressive
-
have been impactingperfect progressive
-
has been impactingperfect progressive
Past
-
impactedsimple
-
had impactedperfect
-
was impactingprogressive
-
were impactingprogressive
-
had been impactingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of impact
First recorded in 1775–85; (noun and v.) back formation from impacted
Explanation
The noun impact can refer to a physical force (like a collision), an influence (a bad role model or a hero), or a strong effect (a foot of snow will have an impact on driving conditions). Impact is used most often as a noun. A good teacher might have an impact (influence) on a struggling student. The moment two comets collide is called the "moment of impact." But this versatile word can also be used as a verb, though many people prefer to use its synonyms instead: "affect," "bear upon," or "touch on." Impacted teeth are wedged together or stuck behind each other.
Vocabulary lists containing impact
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 51-60
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Name On: Pro Sports Team Names, Part 2
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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.
See Examples For:
He raised concerns about the "potential impact on high-value medical imaging equipment" and the "possibility of condensation forming within ventilation systems".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
But for others, their impact looks far less severe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
It also showed exercise has a similar impact as anti-inflammatory drugs, but without the same side effects.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
If Donald returns, it would impact Rams roster decisions and also have possible implications for players that are in the final years of their rookie contracts and eligible for extensions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
“I am always thinking of my daughter and the line of generations that will follow her. Humans have a great impact on the ocean. There is still time to reverse what we’ve done.”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Matt Willis is a former Marin County public health officer who used to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemiologist and now helps model the health impacts of climate change.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Then on top of that, the impact on the cost of oil directly impacts the cost of kerosene, which is jet fuel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The heatwaves pummelling Europe this summer will have costly impacts on industries ranging from agriculture to tourism -- but that hasn't stopped stock markets from hitting all-time highs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Amber heat health alerts, external, which warn of significant impacts to health and social care services, are already in force for the entirety of England until 21:00 BST on Friday.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
In recent years a growing number of researchers has argued that Indian societies there had enormous environmental impacts.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Another by the Heart of England Community Foundation to help families impacted by fires across the West Midlands has hit £50,000.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Some data going back to late December will be deleted as a result, and Manus urged users impacted by the change to back up their data.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Earlier in the day, he and a busload of parishioners had testified at a South Coast Air Quality Management District hearing about how the Lineage fire had impacted their lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
As this has been centred across mainland Europe, southern areas of England and Wales have been impacted more by the dry weather.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Seriously, it could really be that I’m the only person who’s negatively impacted by this whole thing.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Germany's new transport minister, Steffen Bilger, convened a recent crisis summit with shipping, port and logistics operators on the problem impacting the European Union's biggest economy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
"I think AI is impacting traditional trades in a way that is actually going to benefit us," King said.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
“The Lineage fire exposed long-standing environmental injustices impacting Boyle Heights in East L.A. and other areas,” said school board member Rocío Rivas, who represents the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
WSJ: How are commodity prices impacting your business?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Maybe for Dad, publishing a book his father would hate was worth it, because of all the people it’s impacting.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
