What does "impact" mean?

The striking of one body against another; collision.

What is a synonym for "impact"?

Common synonyms include: affect, impingement, shock, affect, affective meaning, airburst.

//ˈɪmpækt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Noun

1
The striking of one body against another; collision. countable, uncountable
2
influencing strongly wordnet
3
The force or energy of a collision of two objects. countable, uncountable
"The hatchet cut the wood on impact."
4
the violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat wordnet
5
A forced impinging. countable, uncountable
"His spine had an impingement; L4 and L5 made impact, which caused numbness in his leg."

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6
the striking of one body against another wordnet
7
A significant or strong influence or effect. countable, figuratively, proscribed, uncountable
"His friend's opinion had an impact on his decision."
8
a forceful consequence; a strong effect wordnet

Verb

1
To collide or strike, the act of impinging. transitive
"When the hammer impacts the nail, it bends."
2
have an effect upon wordnet
3
To compress; to compact; to press into something or pack together. transitive
"The footprints of birds do not impact the soil in the way those of dinosaurs do."
4
press or wedge together; pack together wordnet
5
To significantly or strongly influence or affect; to have an impact on. figuratively, proscribed, transitive
"I can make the changes, but it will impact the schedule."

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6
To stamp or impress onto something. rare, transitive
"Ideas impacted on the mind."

"What thought do you think had the biggest impact on the English in the Middle Ages?"

Attested since the 17th century, from Latin impāctus.

Affect vs Effect: Quick Rules and Real Examples

Learn when to use affect or effect in academic, business, and everyday writing.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.