Affect

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: af=fect

CIDE DICTIONARY

Affect, v. t. [L. affectus, p. p. of afficere to affect by active agency; ad + facere to make: cf. F. affectere, L. affectare, freq. of afficere. See Fact.].

•  To act upon; to produce an effect or change upon.  [1913 Webster]

  "As might affect the earth with cold heat."  [1913 Webster]

  "The climate affected their health and spirits."  [1913 Webster]
•  To influence or move, as the feelings or passions; to touch.  [1913 Webster]

  "A consideration of the rationale of our passions seems to me very necessary for all who would affect them upon solid and pure principles."  [1913 Webster]
•  To love; to regard with affection.  [1913 Webster]

  "As for Queen Katharine, he rather respected than affected, rather honored than loved, her."  [1913 Webster]
•  To show a fondness for; to like to use or practice; to choose; hence, to frequent habitually.  [1913 Webster]

  "For he does neither affect company, nor is he fit for it, indeed."  [1913 Webster]

  "Do not affect the society of your inferiors in rank, nor court that of the great."  Hazlitt.  [1913 Webster]
•  To dispose or incline.  [1913 Webster]

  "Men whom they thought best affected to religion and their country's liberty."  [1913 Webster]
•  To aim at; to aspire; to covet.  [1913 Webster]

  "This proud man affects imperial "  [1913 Webster]
•  To tend to by affinity or disposition.  [1913 Webster]

  "The drops of every fluid affect a round figure."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume; as, to affect ignorance.  [1913 Webster]

  "Careless she is with artful care,
  Affecting to seem unaffected."  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou dost affect my manners."  [1913 Webster]
•  To assign; to appoint.  [1913 Webster]

  "One of the domestics was affected to his special service."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To influence; operate; act on; concern; move; melt; soften; subdue; overcome; pretend; assume.

Affect, n. [L. affectus.].

•  Affection; inclination; passion; feeling; disposition.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  The emotional complex associated with an idea or mental state. In hysteria, the affect is sometimes entirely dissociated, sometimes transferred to another than the original idea.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Affect, v.tr.
1 a produce an effect on. b (of a disease etc.) attack (his liver is affected).
2 move; touch the feelings of (affected me deeply).

Usage

Often confused with effect, which as a verb means 'bring about; accomplish'.

Derivative

affecting adj. affectingly adv.

Affect, v.tr.
1 pretend to have or feel (affected indifference).
2 (foll. by to + infin.) pretend.
3 assume the character or manner of; pose as (affect the freethinker).
4 make a show of liking or using (she affects fancy hats).

Affect, n. Psychol. a feeling, emotion, or desire, esp. as leading to action.

Etymology

G Affekt f. L affectus disposition f. afficere (as AFFECT(1))

THESAURUS

Affect

act, act a part, act like, act on, act upon, actuate, adopt, affect, affection, affectivity, agitate, alter, answer to, appertain to, apply to, assume, attack, attitude, be dressed in, bear on, bear upon, belong to, bend, betoken, bias, bluff, borrow, brandish, breathe, bring, bring forth, bring forward, bring into view, bring out, bring to notice, call for, carry, change, choose, chorus, color, come home to, comprise, concentrate on, concern, connect, contain, copy, correspond to, counterfeit, cover up, crib, dangle, deal with, demonstrate, develop, disclose, display, dispose, dissemble, dissimulate, ditto, divulge, do, do a bit, do like, dramatize, draw, drive, echo, embody, emotion, emotional charge, emotional shade, emotivity, enact, entail, evidence, evince, exhibit, experience, expose to view, express, fake, feeling, feeling tone, feign, flaunt, flourish, focus on, foreboding, forge, four-flush, gammon, get, give sign, give token, go deep, go like, go through one, grieve, gut reaction, hang out, haunt, have connection with, have on, heartthrob, highlight, histrionize, hit, hit the mark, hoke, hoke up, illuminate, imitate, impel, implicate, imply, impress, impress forcibly, impression, incarnate, incline, indicate, induce, influence, inspire, interest, involve, lay hold of, lead, lead to, let on, let on like, liaise with, link with, make a pretense, make an impression, make as if, make believe, make clear, make like, make out like, make plain, manifest, materialize, mean, melt, melt the heart, mental attitude, mirror, modify, move, operate on, opinion, overact, parade, passion, penetrate, perform, persuade, pertain to, perturb, pierce, plagiarize, play, play a part, play a scene, play possum, playact, position, posture, predispose, present, presentiment, presume, presuppose, pretend, pretend to, produce, profess, profound sense, prompt, psychology, put on, put on airs, reach, reaction, reecho, refer to, reflect, regard, relate to, repeat, represent, require, resort, respect, response, reveal, rock, roll out, sadden, select, sensation, sense, sentiment, set forth, sham, show, show forth, simulate, sink in, smart, smite, soften, soften up, sport, spotlight, stance, sting, stir, strike, strike hard, strike home, subsume, sway, take, take in, tell, tie in with, tinge, token, tone, touch, touch a chord, touch upon, transform, traumatize, treat, treat of, trot out, trouble, tug the heartstrings, undercurrent, unfold, upset, use, wave, way of thinking, wear, wear down, weigh with, work

ROGET THESAURUS

Affect

Relation

VB be related, have a relation, relate to, refer to, bear upon, regard, concern, touch, affect, have to do with, pertain to, belong to, appertain to, answer to, interest, bring into relation with, bring to bear upon, connect, associate, draw a parallel, link.

Affections

N affections, affect, character, qualities, disposition, nature, spirit, tone, temper, temperament, diathesis, idiosyncrasy, cast of mind, cast of soul, habit of mind, habit of soul, frame of mind, frame of soul, predilection, turn, natural turn of mind, bent, bias, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, propensity, propenseness, propension, propendency, vein, humor, mood, grain, mettle, sympathy, soul, heart, breast, bosom, inner man, heart's core, heart's strings, heart's blood, heart of hearts, bottom of one's heart, penetralia mentis, secret and inmost recesses of the heart, cockles of one's heart, inmost heart, inmost soul, backbone, passion, pervading spirit, ruling passion, master passion, furore, fullness of the heart, heyday of the blood, flesh and blood, flow of soul, energy, fervor, fire, force, affected, characterized, formed, molded, cast, attempered, tempered, framed, predisposed, prone, inclined, having a bias, tinctured with, imbued with, penetrated with, eaten up with, inborn, inbred, ingrained, deep-rooted, ineffaceable, inveterate, pathoscopic, congenital, dyed in the wool, implanted by nature, inherent, in the grain, affective, in one's heart, at heart, heart and soul, affection is a coal that must be cool'd else suffe.

Excitation

VB excite, affect, touch, move, impress, strike, interest, animate, inspire, impassion, smite, infect, stir the blood, fire the blood, warm the blood, set astir, wake, awake, awaken, call forth, evoke, provoke, raise up, summon up, call up, wake up, blow up, get up, light up, raise, get up the steam, rouse, arouse, stir, fire, kindle, enkindle, apply the torch, set on fire, inflame, stimulate, exsuscitate, inspirit, spirit up, stir up, work up, pique, infuse life into, give new life to, bring new blood, introduce new blood, quicken, sharpen, whet, work upon, hurry on, give a fillip, put on one's mettle, fan the fire, fan the flame, blow the coals, stir the embers, fan into a flame, foster, heat, warm, foment, raise to a fever heat, keep up, keep the pot boiling, revive, rekindle, rake up, rip up, stir the feelings, play on the feelings, come home to the feelings, touch a string, touch a chord, touch the soul, touch the heart, go to one's heart, penetrate, pierce, go through one, touch to the quick, possess the soul, pervade the soul, penetrate the soul, imbrue the soul, absorb the soul, affect the soul, disturb the soul, absorb, rivet the attention, sink into the mind, sink into the heart, prey on the mind, distract, intoxicate, overwhelm, overpower, bouleverser, upset, turn one's head, fascinate, enrapture, agitate, perturb, ruffle, fluster, shake, disturb, startle, shock, stagger, give one a shock, give one a turn, strike all of a heap, stun, astound, electrify, galvanize, petrify, irritate, sting, cut to the heart, cut to the quick, try one's temper, fool to the top of one's bent, pique, infuriate, madden, make one's blood boil, lash into fury, be excited, flush up, flare up, catch the infection, thrill, mantle, work oneself up, seethe, boil, simmer, foam, fume, flame, rage, rave, run mad.

Tendency

VB tend, contribute, conduce, lead, dispose, incline, verge, bend to, trend, affect, carry, redound to, bid fair to, gravitate towards, promote.

Affectation

VB affect, act a part, put on, give oneself airs, boast, coquet, simper, mince, attitudinize, pose, flirt a fan, overact, overdo.

Desire

VB desire, wish, wish for, be desirous, have a longing, hope, care for, affect, like, list, take to, cling to, take a fancy to, fancy, prefer, have an eye, have a mind to, find it in one's heart, have a fancy for, set one's eyes upon, cast a sheep's eye upon, look sweet upon, take into one's head, have at heart, be bent upon, set one's cap at, set one's heart upon, set one's mind upon, covet, want, miss, need, feel the want of, would fain have, would fain do, would be glad of, be hungry, have a good appetite, play a good knife and fork, hunger after, thirst after, crave after, lust after, itch after, hanker after, run mad after, raven for, die for, burn to, desiderate, sigh for, cry for, gape for, gasp for, pine for, pant for, languish for, yearn for, long, be on thorns for, hope for, aspire after, catch at, grasp at, jump at, woo, court, solicit, fish for, spell for, whistle for, put up for, ogle, cause desire, create desire, raise desire, excite desire, provoke desire, whet the appetite, appetize, titillate, allure, attract, take one's fancy, tempt, hold out temptation, hold out allurement, tantalize, make one's mouth water, faire venir l'eau a la bouche, gratify desire.

Love

VB love, like, affect, fancy, care for, take an interest in, be partial to, sympathize with, affection, be in love with, have a love, for, entertain a love, for, harbor cherish a love, for, regard, revere, take to, bear love to, be wedded to, set one's affections on, make much of, feast one's eyes on, hold dear, prize, hug, cling to, cherish, pet, burn, adore, idolize, love to distraction, aimer eperdument, dote on, dote upon, take a fancy to, look sweet upon, become enamored, fall in love with, lose one's heart, desire, excite love, win the heart, gain the heart, win the affections, gain the affections, secure the love, engage the affections, take the fancy of have a place in the heart, wind round the heart, attract, attach, endear, charm, fascinate, captivate, bewitch, seduce, enamor, enrapture, turn the head, get into favor, ingratiate oneself, insinuate oneself, worm oneself, propitiate, curry favor with, pay one's court to, faire l'aimable, set one's cap at, flirt.

Falsehood

VB be false, be a liar, speak falsely, tell a lie, lie, fib, lie like a trooper, swear false, forswear, perjure oneself, bear false witness, misstate, misquote, miscite, misreport, misrepresent, belie, falsify, pervert, distort, put a false construction upon (misinterpret), prevaricate, equivocate, quibble, palter, palter to the understanding, repondre en Normand, trim, shuffle, fence, mince the truth, beat about the bush, blow hot and cold, play fast and loose, garble, gloss over, disguise, give a color to, give a gloss, put a gloss, put false coloring upon, color, varnish, cook, dress up, embroider, varnish right and puzzle wrong, exaggerate, blague, invent, fabricate, trump up, get up, force, fake, hatch, concoct, romance, cry 'wolf!', dissemble, dissimulate, feign, assume, put on, pretend, make believe, play possum, play false, play a double game, coquet, act a part, play a part, affect, simulate, pass off for, counterfeit, sham, make a show of, malinger, say the grapes are sour, cant, play the hypocrite, sham Abraham, faire pattes de velours, put on the mask, clean the outside of the platter, lie like a conjuror, hand out false colors, hold out false colors, sail under false colors, commend the poisoned chalice to the lips, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, deceive.