Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - affect

(affects, affecting, affected) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If something affects a person or thing, it influences them or causes them to change in some way. Nicotine adversely affects the functioning of the heart and arteries... ...the worst-affected areas of Somalia. VERB: V n, V-ed 2. If a disease affects someone, it causes them to become ill. Arthritis is a crippling disease which affects people all over the world. = afflict VERB: V n 3. If something or someone affects you, they make you feel a strong emotion, especially sadness or pity. The divorce affected Jim deeply... VERB: V n