adj Common

affected

uh-FEHK-tihd

Affected (adj) means Changed or influenced by something, often negatively. Example: “The region’s crops were badly affected by the drought.”

adj

Changed or influenced by something, often negatively.

"The region’s crops were badly affected by the drought."

"His speech was noticeably affected by the injury to his jaw."

Put on or fake, done for effect rather than being genuine.

"She spoke in an affected accent she thought sounded posh."

"His affected concern didn’t fool anyone."

Emotionally moved or touched by something.

"He seemed genuinely affected by the tribute to his old friend."

How to use affected

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither "changed by something" (neutral or negative), "fake/put-on" (about behaviour), or "emotionally moved."

Common mistake

Don’t confuse with "effected," which means "brought about" or "caused to happen."

Easily confused with

effected →

Word forms

more affected comparative, affecteds plural, most affected superlative

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The region’s crops were badly _____ by the drought.

Synonyms

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impacted influenced changed altered touched hit harmed disturbed

Related words

hit miss attack changed rock moved beat shoot

Rhymes for affected

erected elected expected dejected directed detected selected effected infected projected deflected collected

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Frequently asked questions

What does “affected” mean?

The word “affected” means changed or influenced by something, often negatively. In plain terms, either "changed by something" (neutral or negative), "fake/put-on" (about behaviour), or "emotionally moved.".

How do you pronounce “affected”?

“Affected” is pronounced uh-FEHK-tihd (/əˈfɛktɪd/ in IPA).

How do you use “affected” in a sentence?

Here is “affected” used in a sentence: “The region’s crops were badly affected by the drought.”

What part of speech is “affected”?

“Affected” is an adjective.

Is “affected” a common word?

“Affected” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “affected” have?

“Affected” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: changed or influenced by something, often negatively.

What is the difference between affected and effected?

Affected means changed or influenced by something — 'areas affected by the storm.' Effected means brought about or caused to happen — 'changes effected by the new law.' The trick is that affect usually describes influencing something, while effect as a verb means to make it happen. Mixing the two up is very common.

What is the difference between affected and unaffected?

Affected means changed, touched, or influenced by something, often harmfully. Unaffected means the opposite: not changed or influenced at all, remaining exactly as before. If a power cut hits one street but not the next, the first street is affected and the second is unaffected.

What is an example of being affected by something?

A town affected by flooding has suffered damage from it; a person affected by bad news feels its emotional weight. In each case, something outside has produced a change — often a negative one — in the person, place, or thing that is described as affected.

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Vocabulary lists that include affected:

8 letter words Words that start with A Words that end with D The 5000 most common English words

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