Word
affect
Meanings
to influence or change someone or something
to make someone feel a particular emotion; to emotionally move someone
to pretend to have a particular feeling or behavior (often to impress others)
Definition
To affect something means to influence it or cause a change in it.
Affect is most commonly a verb meaning to influence someone or something. It often describes how one thing changes another, such as weather affecting travel plans or stress affecting health. It can be a positive or negative influence, and the change may be small or large.
Examples
- Rain can affect the game schedule.
- The new policy will affect small businesses.
- Lack of sleep can affect your mood.
- Her words didn’t affect him at all.
- Rising prices affect everyone.