Adjacent Words

Affecting definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AFFECT'ING, ppr.
1. Impressing; having an effect on; touching the feelings; moving the passions; attempting a false show; greatly desiring; aspiring to possess.
2. a. Having power to excite, or move the passions; tending to move the affections; pathetic; as, an affecting address.
The most affecting music is generally the most simple.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: arousing affect; "the homecoming of the released hostages was an affecting scene"; "poignant grief cannot endure forever"; "his gratitude was simple and touching" [syn: affecting, poignant, touching]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1720 evoking a strong emotional response Synonyms: see moving • affectingly adverb

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Affect Af*fect" ([a^]f*f[e^]kt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Affected; p. pr. & vb. n. Affecting.] [L. affectus, p. p. of afficere to affect by active agency; ad + facere to make: cf. F. affectere, L. affectare, freq. of afficere. See Fact.] 1. To act upon; to produce an effect or change upon. As might affect the earth with cold heat. --Milton. The climate affected their health and spirits. --Macaulay. 2. To influence or move, as the feelings or passions; to touch. A consideration of the rationale of our passions seems to me very necessary for all who would affect them upon solid and pure principles. --Burke. 3. To love; to regard with affection. [Obs.] As for Queen Katharine, he rather respected than affected, rather honored than loved, her. --Fuller. 4. To show a fondness for; to like to use or practice; to choose; hence, to frequent habitually. For he does neither affect company, nor is he fit for it, indeed. --Shak. Do not affect the society of your inferiors in rank, nor court that of the great. --Hazlitt. 5. To dispose or incline. Men whom they thought best affected to religion and their country's liberty. --Milton. 6. To aim at; to aspire; to covet. [Obs.] This proud man affects imperial ?way. --Dryden. 7. To tend to by affinity or disposition. The drops of every fluid affect a round figure. --Newton. 8. To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume; as, to affect ignorance. Careless she is with artful care, Affecting to seem unaffected. --Congreve. Thou dost affect my manners. --Shak. 9. To assign; to appoint. [R.] One of the domestics was affected to his special service. --Thackeray. Syn: To influence; operate; act on; concern; move; melt; soften; subdue; overcome; pretend; assume.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Affecting Af*fect"ing, a. 1. Moving the emotions; fitted to excite the emotions; pathetic; touching; as, an affecting address; an affecting sight. The most affecting music is generally the most simple. --Mitford. 2. Affected; given to false show. [Obs.] A drawling; affecting rouge. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you describe something such as a story or a piece of music as affecting, you think it is good because it makes you feel a strong emotion, especially sadness or pity. (LITERARY) ...an affecting drama about a woman with a terminal illness. = moving, touching ADJ [approval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Moving, touching, pathetic, piteous, impressive.

Moby Thesaurus

afflictive, bitter, bleak, cheerless, comfortless, deplorable, depressing, depressive, discomforting, dismal, dismaying, distressful, distressing, disturbing, doleful, dolorific, dolorogenic, dolorous, dreary, emotive, grievous, heartrending, impressive, joyless, lamentable, mournful, moving, painful, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poignant, regrettable, rueful, sad, saddening, sharp, sore, sorrowful, touching, troubling, uncomfortable, woebegone, woeful, wretched