Impact — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈim-ˌpakt/ (noun) /im-ˈpakt/ (verb) im·pact

Meaning & Definition of Impact

Impact (noun)

  1. the act or force especially of one body striking another
  2. a forceful contact or onset; also, the impetus communicated in or as if in such a contact
  3. the strong influence of one thing on another, a significant or major effect —often used with on

Impact (verb)

  1. to have a direct effect or impact on, impinge on
  2. to strike forcefully; also, to cause to strike forcefully
  3. to fix firmly by or as if by packing or wedging

Impact (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the power to bring about a result on another

    "the execution had such a powerful impact on her that she became a crusader for the abolition of capital punishment"

    similar: effect, influence, mark, repercussion, sway
    related: authority, clout, prestige, pull, weight, command, domination, dominion, mastery, consequence, importance, significance, sovereignty, supremacy
    near: helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

  2. a forceful coming together of two things

    "the glass shattered immediately upon impact with the floor"

    similar: bump, collision, concussion, crash, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, slam, smash, strike, wallop
    related: blow, buffet, hit, knock, punch, rap, slap, thump, bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, contact, encounter, meeting, touch

  3. the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect

    "the story has real dramatic impact"

    similar: cogency, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, point, punch
    related: payoff, importance, significance, appeal, attraction, charm, fascination

Impact (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "the tragic loss of his father impacted the boy for the rest of his life"

    similar: affect, 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 come into usually forceful contact with something

    "the damage sustained when a car going 40 miles an hour impacts with a brick wall"

    similar: bang, bash, bump, collide, crash, hit, impinge, knock, ram, slam, smash, strike, swipe, thud
    related: bounce, carom, clunk, glance, rebound, ricochet, skim, skip, contact, land, touch, brush, graze, kiss, nudge, scrape, shave, sweep, bulldoze, jostle, muscle, press, push
    near: miss, skirt

  3. to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter

    "the bullet was found impacted in the police officer's protective vest"

    similar: bed, embed, enroot, entrench, fix, implant, ingrain, lodge, root
    related: imbue, infuse, instill, beat (into), drive (into), establish, place, put, settle, stick
    opposite: dislodge, root (out), uproot
    near: eliminate, eradicate, eject, expel, detach, disconnect, disengage, remove

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Impact

The most common words with a similar meaning to Impact:

effect, influence, mark, repercussion, sway, bump, collision, concussion, crash, impingement, jar, jolt, jounce, kick, shock, slam, smash, strike, wallop, cogency, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, point, punch, affect, impress, move, reach, tell (on), touch, bang, bash, collide, hit, impinge, knock, ram, swipe, thud

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Impact

Words with the opposite meaning of Impact:

dislodge, root (out), uproot

Related Words for Impact

authority, clout, prestige, pull, weight, command, domination, dominion, mastery, consequence, importance, significance, sovereignty, supremacy, blow, buffet, rap, slap, thump, bashing, battering, bludgeoning, clobbering, hammering, lambasting, licking, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, contact

Near Antonyms of Impact

helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness, bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, underwhelm, miss, skirt, eliminate, eradicate, eject, expel, detach, disconnect, disengage, remove

Word Forms of Impact

Inflections: impacts, impacted, impacting

Origin & Etymology of Impact

Latin impactus, past participle of impingere to push against impinge

First known use: 1781

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Impact

Words & Phrases Containing Impact

impact printer, high-impact, low-impact, non-impact printer, on/upon impact

Frequently Asked Questions about Impact

What does "Impact" mean?

"Impact" means the act or force especially of one body striking another. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the act or force especially of one body striking another. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Impact"?

Other words for "Impact" include effect, influence, mark, repercussion, sway, bump, collision and concussion. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Impact" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Impact"?

There are 163 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Impact". Common alternatives include effect, influence, mark, repercussion, sway, bump, collision, concussion, crash and impingement.

What is the opposite of "Impact"?

Antonyms of "Impact" include dislodge, root (out) and uproot. Near antonyms include helplessness, impotence, impotency and powerlessness.

How do you use "Impact" in a sentence?

Examples of "Impact" in a sentence: "the execution had such a powerful impact on her that she became a crusader for the abolition of capital punishment"; "the glass shattered immediately upon impact with the floor"; "the story has real dramatic impact".

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

"Impact" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Impact" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Impact" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Impact"?

"Impact" is pronounced /ˈim-ˌpakt/ as a noun and /im-ˈpakt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as im·pact.