Affect Synonyms | Uses & Examples Sentences
Affect is a verb that means “to influence” or “to pretend.”
Synonyms for affect include:
- Impact
- Determine
- Involve
- Concern
- Alter
- Shape
- Modify
- Change
- Sway
- Touch
- Impress
- Simulate
- Assume
- Act
Don’t mix up affect and effect. The word effect is a noun meaning “result” or a verb meaning “to cause.”
QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find other synonyms for “affect” to reflect your intended style and meaning.
Table of contents
Synonyms for affect
Some synonyms for affect are closer matches than others. For example, “influence” is a strong match and can generally be interchanged with affect.
On the other hand, “impress” generally implies a positive connotation. Affect can imply a positive or a negative influence, so “impress” isn’t always a perfect match.
The table below lists synonyms for affect meaning “to impact.”
| Match | Synonym | Affect example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Impact | Her advice affected my decision. | Her advice impacted my decision. |
| Determine | These results will affect the conditions of the next experiment. | These results will determine the conditions of the next experiment. | |
| Have an effect on | My high school physics teacher affected what I chose to study at college. | My high school physics teacher had an effect on what I chose to study at college. | |
| Concern | Hurricanes generally don’t affect the West Coast. | Hurricanes generally don’t concern the West Coast. | |
| Involve | This matter doesn’t affect us. | This matter doesn’t involve us. | |
| Strong | Alter | The new class will affect our schedule. | The new class will alter our schedule. |
| Shape | His experiences affected his career choices. | His experiences shaped his career choices. | |
| Modify | During the storm, train schedules were affected. | During the storm, train schedules were modified. | |
| Change | The weather might affect our picnic plans. | The weather might change our picnic plans. | |
| Weak | Sway | She tried to affect the committee’s vote. | She tried to sway the committee’s vote. |
| Touch | My grandmother’s story really affected me. | My grandmother’s story really touched me. | |
| Impress | He’s hoping to affect the judges. | He’s hoping to impress the judges. | |
| Upset | The news story really affected me. | The news story really upset me. |
Affect is less commonly used to mean “to pretend,” and synonyms for this meaning are listed in the table below.
| Match | Synonym | Affect example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Feign | He affected interest in the conversation. | He feigned interest in the conversation. |
| Fake | For some reason, she affects a British accent when she’s around wealthy people. | For some reason, she fakes a British accent when she’s around wealthy people. | |
| Put on | The Irish actress affects an American accent in the film. | The Irish actress puts on an American accent in the film. | |
| Strong | Simulate | I affected indifference, but secretly I was annoyed. | I simulated indifference, but secretly I was annoyed. |
| Assume | To fit in, he affected a love for expensive wines. | To fit in, he assumed a love for expensive wines. | |
| Act | He tried to affect a calm demeanor during the stressful situation. | He tried to act calm during the stressful situation. | |
| Weak | Give the appearance of | He tried to affect a calm demeanor during the stressful situation. | He tried to give the appearance of a calm demeanor during the stressful situation. |
| Adopt | Why have you suddenly affected a deeper voice? | Why have you suddenly adopted a deeper voice? | |
| Make like | Why do you affect that you’re so busy, when I know you have nothing to do? | Why do you make like you’re so busy, when I know you have nothing to do? |
However, not all of its synonyms function the same. For example, “act” is an intransitive verb, and can therefore be followed by an adjective instead of a direct object (e.g., “He acted interested in the conversation”).
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you use synonyms for affect correctly.
Frequently asked questions about affect synonyms
- What’s a synonym for negatively affect?
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Synonyms for “negatively affect” include:
- Upset
- Disturb
- Harm
- Diminish
- Damage
- Disrupt
- Hinder
- Obstruct
- Mar
- Sabotage
Using a synonym for affect with a negative adverb is another option for forming synonyms of “negatively affect.”
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you do this.
- What’s an antonym for affect?
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“Affect” can mean “to impact” or “to pretend.”
Antonyms for “affect” meaning “to impact” include:
- Have no impact on
- Have no effect on
- Be unaffected by
- Is irrelevant to
- Remain unchanged
- Be immune to
Many antonyms of “affect” are not direct substitutes and require some sentence rewriting.
Antonym for affect meaning “to impact” examples - The storm affected power in the area.
- Power in the area was unaffected by the storm.
- The storm was unaffected by power in the area.
Antonyms for “affect” meaning “to pretend” include:
- Tell the truth
- Be authentic
- Reveal
- Show true feelings
- Express honestly
Antonym for affect meaning “to pretend” examples - She affected concern, but she really didn’t care.
- She showed her true feelings—that she really didn’t care.
- She showed her true feelings—concern—but she really didn’t care.
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you rewrite sentences to use antonyms for affect or synonyms for affect correctly.
