Affecting — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ə-ˈfek-tiŋ/ af·fect·ing

Meaning & Definition of Affecting

Affecting (adjective)

  1. evoking a strong emotional response

Affecting (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies

    "the affecting final scene in the play, when the children are reunited with their father"

    similar: emotional, impactful, impressive, moving, poignant, stirring, touching
    related: eloquent, expressive, meaningful, significant, demonstrative, excitable, feeling, passionate, responsive, sensitive, exciting, inspirational, provoking, rousing, stimulating, dramatic, histrionic, melodramatic, theatrical, cathartic
    opposite: unaffecting, unemotional, unimpressive
    near: cold, cool, detached, dispassionate, emotionless, deadpan

Affecting (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response

    "their son claims that scary movies don't affect him in the least"

    similar: impacting, impressing, influencing, moving, reaching, striking, swaying, telling (on), touching, getting to
    related: carrying away, dazzling, enrapturing, enthralling, entrancing, ravishing, transporting, biasing, coloring, inspiring, stirring, engaging, interesting, involving, penetrating, piercing, afflicting, agitating, bothering, concerning, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, flustering, harassing, harrying, perturbing, pestering, plaguing, smiting, straining, stressing, troubling, trying, upsetting, worrying, wringing, alluring, attracting, bewitching, captivating, charming, enchanting, fascinating
    near: boring, jading, palling, tiring, wearying, underwhelming

  2. to be the business or affair of

    "fortunately, hurricane season doesn't affect the West Coast"

    similar: concerning, involving, touching
    related: appertaining (to), applying (to), bearing (on), pertaining (to), referring (to), relating (to), embroiling, ensnaring, entangling, implicating

  3. to present a false appearance of

    "she affected complete unawareness that we were talking about her, though she must have overheard"

    similar: acting, assuming, bluffing, counterfeiting, dissembling, faking, feigning, passing (for), pretending, professing, putting on, shamming, simulating, making believe
    related: dissimulating, impersonating, letting on, masquerading, playacting, playing, posing, forging, imitating, camouflaging, concealing, disguising, masking, feinting, malingering

  4. to go to or spend time in often

    "a power couple known to affect all the fancy parties in town"

    similar: frequenting, habituating, hanging (at), haunting, resorting (to), visiting
    related: patronizing, attending, taking in, infesting, invading, overrunning, swarming, calling (on or upon), dropping by, dropping in, popping (in), running (in), stopping (by or in), camping (out in), sojourning (at), staying (at), stopping (over), tarrying (in)
    opposite: avoiding, shunning
    near: dodging, ducking, eluding, escaping, eschewing, evading, shaking

Related Entry: Affect (verb)

Affect is a different word from Affecting. The synonyms below are for affect, not for affecting.

  1. to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response

    "their son claims that scary movies don't affect him in the least"

    similar: impact, impress, influence, move, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), touch, get to
    related: carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall, ravish, transport, bias, color, inspire, stir, engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce, afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring, allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate
    near: bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, underwhelm

  2. to be the business or affair of

    "fortunately, hurricane season doesn't affect the West Coast"

    similar: concern, involve, touch
    related: appertain (to), apply (to), bear (on), pertain (to), refer (to), relate (to), embroil, ensnare, entangle, implicate

Related Entry: Affect (verb)

Affect is a different word from Affecting. The synonyms below are for affect, not for affecting.

  1. to present a false appearance of

    "she affected complete unawareness that we were talking about her, though she must have overheard"

    similar: act, assume, bluff, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, feign, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, sham, simulate, make believe
    related: dissimulate, impersonate, let on, masquerade, play, playact, pose, forge, imitate, camouflage, conceal, disguise, mask, feint, malinger

  2. to go to or spend time in often

    "a power couple known to affect all the fancy parties in town"

    similar: frequent, habituate, hang (at), haunt, resort (to), visit
    related: patronize, attend, take in, infest, invade, overrun, swarm, call (on or upon), drop by, drop in, pop (in), run (in), stop (by or in), camp (out in), sojourn (at), stay (at), stop (over), tarry (in)
    opposite: avoid, shun
    near: dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, shake

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Affecting

The most common words with a similar meaning to Affecting:

emotional, impactful, impressive, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, impacting, impressing, influencing, reaching, striking, swaying, telling (on), concerning, involving, getting to, acting, assuming, bluffing, counterfeiting, dissembling, faking, feigning, passing (for), pretending, professing, putting on, shamming, simulating, frequenting, habituating, hanging (at), haunting, resorting (to), visiting, making believe

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Affecting

Words with the opposite meaning of Affecting:

unaffecting, unemotional, unimpressive, avoiding, shunning

Related Words for Affecting

eloquent, expressive, meaningful, significant, demonstrative, excitable, feeling, passionate, responsive, sensitive, exciting, inspirational, provoking, rousing, stimulating, dramatic, histrionic, melodramatic, theatrical, cathartic, carrying away, dazzling, enrapturing, enthralling, entrancing, ravishing, transporting, biasing, coloring, inspiring

Near Antonyms of Affecting

cold, cool, detached, dispassionate, emotionless, deadpan, boring, jading, palling, tiring, wearying, underwhelming, dodging, ducking, eluding, escaping, eschewing, evading, shaking

Word Forms of Affecting

Derived words: affectingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Affecting

from present participle of affect:2

First known use: 1720

Frequently Asked Questions about Affecting

What does "Affecting" mean?

"Affecting" means evoking a strong emotional response. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: evoking a strong emotional response. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Affecting"?

Other words for "Affecting" include emotional, impactful, impressive, moving, poignant, stirring, touching and impacting. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Affecting" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Affecting"?

There are 143 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Affecting". Common alternatives include emotional, impactful, impressive, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, impacting, impressing and influencing.

What is the opposite of "Affecting"?

Antonyms of "Affecting" include unaffecting, unemotional, unimpressive, avoiding and shunning. Near antonyms include cold, cool, detached and dispassionate.

How do you use "Affecting" in a sentence?

Examples of "Affecting" in a sentence: "the affecting final scene in the play, when the children are reunited with their father"; "their son claims that scary movies don't affect him in the least"; "fortunately, hurricane season doesn't affect the West Coast".

Is "Affecting" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Affecting" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Affecting"?

"Affecting" is pronounced /ə-ˈfek-tiŋ/ and divided into syllables as af·fect·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Affecting"?

"Affecting" comes from from present participle of affect:2. First known use: 1720.