- to act on; produce an effect or change in: Cold weather affected the crops.
- to impress the mind or move the feelings of: The music affected him deeply.
- (of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of.
- feeling or emotion.
- an expressed or observed emotional response: Restricted, flat, or blunted affect may be a symptom of mental illness, especially schizophrenia.
- affection; passion; sensation; inclination; inward disposition or feeling.
- to give the appearance of; pretend or feign: to affect knowledge of the situation.
- to assume artificially, pretentiously, or for effect: to affect a Southern accent.
- to use, wear, or adopt by preference; choose; prefer: the peculiar costume he affected.
- to assume the character or attitude of: to affect the freethinker.
- (of things) to tend toward habitually or naturally: a substance that affects colloidal form.
- (of animals and plants) to occupy or inhabit; live in or on: Lions affect Africa. Moss affects the northern slopes.
- Archaic.
- to have affection for; fancy.
- to aim at; aspire to.
- to incline, tend, or favor (usually followed by to): He affects to the old ways.
- to act upon or influence, esp in an adverse way
- to move or disturb emotionally or mentally
- (of pain, disease, etc) to attack
- the emotion associated with an idea or set of ideas
- to put on an appearance or show of; make a pretence of
- to imitate or assume, esp pretentiously
- to have or use by preference
- to adopt the character, manner, etc, of
- (of plants or animals) to live or grow in
- to incline naturally or habitually towards
