affected

UK: /əˈfɛktɪd/ US: /əˈfɛktɪd/ ,(ə fek′tid)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

af•fect•ed² /əˈfɛktɪd/   adj. 

1. characterized by artificiality or pretension:
   an affected gesture.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

af•fect•ed¹  (ə fek′tid), adj. 

1. acted upon;
   influenced.
2. influenced in a harmful way;
   impaired, harmed, or attacked, as by climate or disease.
3. (of the mind or feelings) impressed;
   moved;
   touched:
   She was deeply affected by their generosity.

• affect¹ + -ed² 1570–80

af•fect•ed²  (ə fek′tid), adj. 

1. assumed artificially;
   unnatural;
   feigned:
   affected sophistication; an affected British accent.
2. assuming or pretending to possess that which is not natural:
   Her affected wealth and social pedigree are so obviously false that it's embarrassing.
3. inclined or disposed:
   well affected toward the speaker's cause.
4. held in affection;
   fancied:
   a novel much affected by our grandparents.

• affect² + -ed² 1525–35

af•fect′ed•ly, adv. 
af•fect′ed•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

affected / əˈfɛktɪd/ adjective (usually postpositive)

1. deeply moved, esp by sorrow or grief
2. changed, esp detrimentally

Etymology: 17th Century: from affect¹ + -ed²

affected / əˈfɛktɪd/ adjective

1. behaving, speaking, etc, in an artificial or assumed way, esp in order to impress others
2. feigned: affected indifference

Etymology: 16th Century: from affect² + -ed²

afˈfectedly adverb

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

af•fect¹ /əˈfɛkt/   v. 

[~ + object]
1. to produce an effect or change in:
   Cold weather affected the crops.
2. to impress the mind or move the feelings of:
   The tragedy affected him deeply.

Related Words

affect is a verb, affected and affectionate are adjectives, affection is a noun:
Nothing seems to affect him. The way he speaks is affected and phony. The cat is friendly and affectionate. She shows a lot of affection for everyone.

af•fect² /əˈfɛkt/   v. 

1. to pretend;
   feign: [~ + object]
   to affect concern for others.
   [~ + to + verb]
   He affected to know a lot about ancient history.
2. to assume pretentiously or for effect:
   [~ + object] He affected an English accent.
3. to use, wear, or adopt by choice:
   [~ + object] to affect outrageous clothes.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

af•fect¹  (v. ə fekt′;n. af′ekt), v.t. 

1. to act on;
   produce an effect or change in:
   Cold weather affected the crops.
2. to impress the mind or move the feelings of:
   The music affected him deeply.
3. Pathology (of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of.

n. 

4. Psychiatry feeling or emotion.
5. Psychiatry an expressed or observed emotional response:
   Restricted, flat, or blunted affect may be a symptom of mental illness, especially schizophrenia.
6. [Obs.] affection;
   passion;
   sensation;
   inclination;
   inward disposition or feeling.

• Latin affectus acted upon, subjected to; mental or emotional state (past participle and action noun, nominal of afficere), equivalent. to af- af- + fec- (combining form of facere to make, do) + -tus action noun, nominal suffix or -tus past participle suffix
• Middle English 1350–1400

af•fect′a•ble, adj. 
af•fect′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. influence, sway; modify, alter.
• 2. touch, stir.

Usage

Affect¹ and effect, each both noun and verb, share the sense of "influence,'' and because of their similarity in pronunciation are sometimes confused in writing. As a verb affect¹ means "to act on'' or "to move'' (His words affected the crowd so deeply that many wept); affect² means "to pretend'' or "to assume'' (new students affecting a nonchalance they didn't feel). The verb effect means "to bring about, accomplish'':
Her administration effected radical changes.
The noun effect means "result, consequence'':
the serious effects of the oil spill.
The noun affect¹ pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, is a technical term in psychology and psychiatry. Affect² is not used as a noun.

af•fect²  (ə fekt′), v.t. 

1. to give the appearance of;
   pretend or feign:
   to affect knowledge of the situation.
2. to assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect:
   to affect a Southern accent.
3. to use, wear, or adopt by preference;
   choose;
   prefer:
   the peculiar costume he affected.
4. to assume the character or attitude of:
   to affect the freethinker.
5. (of things) to tend toward habitually or naturally:
   a substance that affects colloidal form.
6. Ecology (of animals and plants) to occupy or inhabit;
   live in or on:
   Lions affect Africa. Moss affects the northern slopes.
7. [Archaic.]
   • to have affection for;
     fancy.
   • to aim at;
     aspire to.

v.i. 

8. [Obs.] to incline, tend, or favor (usually fol. by to):
   He affects to the old ways.

• Latin affectāre to strive after, feign (frequentative of afficere to do to), equivalent. to af- af- + fec- (see affect¹) + -tāre frequentative suffix
• Middle French affecter
• late Middle English 1400–50

af•fect′•er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. See pretend. 

Usage

See affect ¹.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

affect verb / əˈfɛkt/(transitive)

1. to act upon or influence, esp in an adverse way: damp affected the sparking plugs
2. to move or disturb emotionally or mentally: her death affected him greatly
3. (of pain, disease, etc) to attack

noun / ˈæfɛkt əˈfɛkt/

1. the emotion associated with an idea or set of ideas
   See also affection

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin affectus, past participle of afficere to act upon, from ad- to + facere to do

affect / əˈfɛkt/ verb (mainly tr)

1. to put on an appearance or show of; make a pretence of: to affect ignorance
2. to imitate or assume, esp pretentiously
3. to have or use by preference
4. to adopt the character, manner, etc, of
5. to incline naturally or habitually towards

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin affectāre to strive after, pretend to have; related to afficere to affect¹