affect

Meanings

1. To have an influence on something or someone.
2. To touch the feelings of someone.

Example sentences

• "The cold weather affects my mood."

  Level B1, Meaning 1

• "The new law will affect millions of people."

  Level B2, Meaning 1

• "She was deeply affected by the news."

  Level B2, Meaning 2

• "Lack of sleep can affect your memory."

  Level B1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• effect : Effect is usually a noun for the result. Affect is usually a verb meaning to change. Rain affects the roads; the effect is a flood.

Word family and forms

Forms: affects, affected, affecting

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "affect".

• affect the result
• badly affected
• affect your health
• deeply affected
• affect the weather
• greatly affect

Origin

Affect comes from Latin afficere, which meant to act on or to influence. It is built from ad, to, and facere, to do or make.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

"Affect" is usually the verb meaning to influence, while "effect" is usually the noun for the result, a common spelling mix-up.

How to remember it

Affect is the Action, Effect is the End result: A before E in the alphabet, as action comes before the result.

Test yourself

Learn next at B1

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• affirm To state something firmly and confidently, especially to show support...
• affirmative Expressing agreement or a positive answer.
• affluent Having a great deal of money or material wealth.
• afforestation The process of planting trees on land that had no forest before.