affected
1 Americanadjective
-
acted upon; influenced.
-
influenced in a harmful way; impaired, harmed, or attacked, as by climate or disease.
-
(of the mind or feelings) impressed; moved; touched.
She was deeply affected by their generosity.
adjective
-
assumed artificially; unnatural; feigned.
affected sophistication; an affected British accent.
-
assuming or pretending to possess that which is not natural.
Her affected wealth and social pedigree are so obviously false that it's embarrassing.
-
inclined or disposed.
well affected toward the speaker's cause.
-
held in affection; fancied.
a novel much affected by our grandparents.
adjective
-
behaving, speaking, etc, in an artificial or assumed way, esp in order to impress others
-
feigned
affected indifference
-
archaic inclined; disposed
adjective
-
deeply moved, esp by sorrow or grief
he was greatly affected by her departure
-
changed, esp detrimentally
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of affected1
First recorded in 1570–80; affect 1 + -ed 2
Origin of affected2
Explanation
Something that's affected is influenced or acted upon. If a bottle of ointment says "apply to the affected area," you should put the medication only on the parts of your skin that touched the poison ivy. One of the most common vocabulary mix-ups is effect and affect: effect is usually a noun, and affect is usually a verb that means "to influence" of "act upon." Affected is the adjective form of the verb. After a flood, affected homeowners might try to get insurance. A sad movie might leave you deeply affected. The word can also refer to behavior that's done only to impress someone: if you're acting affected, you might use big, fake melodramatic gestures.
Vocabulary lists containing affected
The Catcher in the Rye
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Words of Nick Carraway
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It also identified 214 children affected, including 32 Americans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
An AliExpress spokesperson told the BBC it had removed the products flagged by ESF and was contacting affected customers to initiate a recall.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Chief Executive Ryan McInerney said in an employee memo that most of the affected roles would be in technology and product teams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Many roads were closed and high-speed shinkansen train services were suspended in the region affected by Tuesday's quake.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Grades are affected in addition to access to certain opportunities and promotion to leader- ship roles.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
