affecting

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle of affect.

   The merger is affecting hundreds of employees across both companies.

   Critics debated how the scandal was affecting the upcoming election.

   Note

   One spelling does two jobs. With be it builds the progressive (the merger is affecting jobs), and on its own it names the action, as in worried about affecting the outcome. It carries every meaning of affect, most often "influence," but the "move to emotion" meaning is the one that hardened into the adjective for moving work. The archaic senses "dispose" and "assign" belong to older prose.

2. 2
   adjective

   Producing or causing strong feelings and emotions in those who encounter it.

   Like a melody in a minor key that lingers and stirs something in you.

   The documentary offered an affecting portrait of refugees rebuilding their lives.

   His eulogy was deeply affecting, leaving few dry eyes in the room.

   Similarmoving, touching, poignant, stirring

   Note

   A participle that has settled into a full adjective. It grades (more affecting, most affecting) and stands comfortably after be with nothing following: the scene is affecting. That bare position is the quick test. When an object follows, as in the change is affecting sales, the word is still the verb form, and it can carry any of the verb's meanings.

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