1
as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
affected laughter at the boss's jokes an affected southern accent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
with her pinkie extended, the four-year-old held her tiny teacup in that affected manner that some women have
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inclined
having a liking or affection
after years of being well affected toward their grandchildren, they did not want to lose access to them because of a bitter divorce
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in influenced
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in concerned
to be the business or affair of
fortunately, hurricane season doesn't affect the West Coast
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pretended
to present a false appearance of
she affected complete unawareness that we were talking about her, though she must have overheard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in haunted
to go to or spend time in often
a power couple known to affect all the fancy parties in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affected
Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
According to Microsoft, its quantum team used agentic AI to automate complex measurements, optimize fabrication processes, analyze decades of research data, and uncover previously unnoticed problems that affected device performance.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
Last year, Alexander Isak’s eventual defection following a summer-long saga proved disastrous, hampering Newcastle’s own business, which had already been affected by Paul Mitchell’s departure as sporting director in May and by being pipped to their top targets.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Russia suspended jet fuel exports, further upending trade in a product already hugely affected by the Iran war.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
City employees would not be affected by the change, Assistant City Manager Jessica McEachern said during the June 2 City Council work session.
—Mary Ella Hastings, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Parr encouraged broad participation, noting the survey is open to anyone affected by the pollution — not only business owners — and is available in Spanish.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
The policies affected how much investment went into neighborhoods, with impacts that can still be seen today.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
Additionally, Howard said people are avoiding health facilities, which is raising fears that those affected by Ebola are remaining within communities rather than seeking treatment.
—Will Gretsky, ABC News, 1 June 2026
Verb
Mayor Brandon Johnson came to this office with something genuinely rare — authentic credibility in the communities most affected by this crisis.
—Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
According to Microsoft, its quantum team used agentic AI to automate complex measurements, optimize fabrication processes, analyze decades of research data, and uncover previously unnoticed problems that affected device performance.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
Last year, Alexander Isak’s eventual defection following a summer-long saga proved disastrous, hampering Newcastle’s own business, which had already been affected by Paul Mitchell’s departure as sporting director in May and by being pipped to their top targets.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Russia suspended jet fuel exports, further upending trade in a product already hugely affected by the Iran war.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
City employees would not be affected by the change, Assistant City Manager Jessica McEachern said during the June 2 City Council work session.
—Mary Ella Hastings, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Parr encouraged broad participation, noting the survey is open to anyone affected by the pollution — not only business owners — and is available in Spanish.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
The policies affected how much investment went into neighborhoods, with impacts that can still be seen today.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
Additionally, Howard said people are avoiding health facilities, which is raising fears that those affected by Ebola are remaining within communities rather than seeking treatment.
—Will Gretsky, ABC News, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affected
Adjective
-
Last year, Hernández played in just one rehab game returning from a strained groin.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Large parts of its war effort are now unmanned, the robots, drones, and remotely piloted tanks giving it a sudden, albeit fragile, edge over a lumbering and strained Russian invader.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
Public policy decisions always need to strive for middle ground, and those leadership decisions often referred to as arrogant can just as easily be called principled leadership.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Democratic voters are inclined to be skeptical, and to believe rumors that the group is funded by the same Israeli government that wanted the US to bomb Iran.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
-
Perhaps there's a fussy Phillies fan in footy pajamas who balks at the twice-daily ritual but might be more inclined to brush because Harper does it, as well.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
But Serna and his coaches were also influenced by Kimball’s State double a year earlier.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Over the last decade, deep political divisions have influenced the way people view the nation’s history.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Across 2025-26, there are few outstanding contenders — a reflection upon, at least as far as the Premier League is concerned, a Newcastle campaign riddled with inconsistency and underperformance (for the most part).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Persistent high interest rates also present a challenge since electrification benefits play out over time and high interest rates can spook companies concerned about short-term returns (or even survival).—
Justin Worland,
Time,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Faced with one of Musk’s seemingly impossible mandates, those strong employees rarely pretended to already know the solution.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
-
His wife fell to the floor and pretended to be dead, and Little was pronounced dead at a hospital.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
In his brief time in WWE, Danhausen has already haunted (and defeated) the league’s former court-jester extraordinaire, The Miz (Miz, I’d argue, is the better in-ring performer), as well as YouTuber IShowSpeed, (Chad) Gable, Dominik Mysterio and Kit Wilson.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
-
For more than three decades, the murder of Randy Gail Sperino haunted investigators in southern Illinois — a cold case centered on a young woman beaten to death and left in a rural field while her killer seemingly vanished without a trace.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lewis oversaw workshops with school kids himself, traveling to schools in his free time, staging mock trials and handing out copies of legal documents, like the Constitution.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Each year, a different brother played Paddy, lying in the coffin, where he was roasted by a series of mock eulogies.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affected. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
