adjective
impactful
im-PAKT-fuhl
Impactful (adjective) means having a strong effect on people or on a situation. Example: “The most impactful change was simply cutting the waiting time in half.”
adjective
1
Having a strong effect on people or on a situation.
"The most impactful change was simply cutting the waiting time in half."
"Her closing speech was short but impactful."
How to use impactful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishIt makes a big difference or leaves a strong impression.
When to use it
Very common in business and marketing writing; avoid it in formal or literary prose, where it grates on some readers.
Memory tip
If you are writing for a critical reader, swap in a more precise adjective — impactful is one of the most complained-about words in corporate English.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
impactful change
highly impactful
impactful storytelling
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The most _____ change was simply cutting the waiting time in half.
Etymology
Formed from impact plus the suffix -ful.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for impactful
See all rhymes for impactful →Frequently asked questions
Is impactful a real word?
Yes. It is recorded in all major dictionaries and has been in use since the mid-twentieth century. Some editors and usage guides still dislike it as business jargon, but that is a stylistic objection rather than a question of legitimacy.
What can I use instead of impactful?
Depending on the sense, effective, powerful, influential, memorable or significant will usually be sharper. If a sentence resists all of these, it may be that no particular effect is actually being claimed.
What is the difference between impactful and effective?
Effective means it achieved its intended goal. Impactful means it made a strong impression or difference, whether or not that was the aim. A dull policy can be effective; a photograph can be impactful without having any goal at all.
What is the meaning of impactful?
"impactful" (adjective) means having a strong effect on people or on a situation.
