affected
1 of 2
af·fect·ed
ə-ˈfek-təd 
a-
past tense and past participle of affect entry 1
or of affect entry 2
1
a
: having or showing an attitude or mode of behavior that is not natural or genuinely felt : given to or marked by affectation
spoke in an affected manner
affectedly
adverb
affectedness
noun
Examples of affected in a Sentence
Adjective
Leinart laughs with his friends about the parallels with his favorite TV show, but he's sensitive about the perception that he's an affected socialite.
—
Michael Silver, Sports Illustrated, 23 July 2007
… he accused the literary establishment of eschewing good clean writing and advancing affected, artsy prose instead.
—Judith Shulevitz, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
Without this fraught boundary between old money and new, between inherited and affected tastes, some of our greatest writers would have had to find something else to write about.
—E. B. Harper, Civilization, June/July 2000
With a workmanlike thoroughness, they alter their diction and mannerisms for each new role—for example, Kidman drops her voice at least half an octave and adopts a suitably tailored upper-class accent to portray an affected starlet who carries a teddy bear to surreptitious trysts.
—Celia Wren, Commonweal, 26 Feb. 1999
affected laughter at the boss's jokes
with her pinkie extended, the four-year-old held her tiny teacup in that affected manner that some women have
Michael Silver, Sports Illustrated, 23 July 2007
… he accused the literary establishment of eschewing good clean writing and advancing affected, artsy prose instead.
—Judith Shulevitz, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
Without this fraught boundary between old money and new, between inherited and affected tastes, some of our greatest writers would have had to find something else to write about.
—E. B. Harper, Civilization, June/July 2000
With a workmanlike thoroughness, they alter their diction and mannerisms for each new role—for example, Kidman drops her voice at least half an octave and adopts a suitably tailored upper-class accent to portray an affected starlet who carries a teddy bear to surreptitious trysts.
—Celia Wren, Commonweal, 26 Feb. 1999
affected laughter at the boss's jokes
with her pinkie extended, the four-year-old held her tiny teacup in that affected manner that some women have
Cite this Entry
“Affected.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affected. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
affected
adjective
af·fect·ed
ə-ˈfek-təd
a-
: not natural or genuine
affectedly
adverb
affectedness
noun
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