impact

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verb im·pact \ im-ˈpakt \

Definition of impact

transitive verb

1 a :to fix firmly by or as if by packing or wedging

b :to press together

2 a :to have a direct effect or impact on :impinge on

b :to strike forcefully; also :to cause to strike forcefully

intransitive verb

1 :to have an impact —often used with on

2 :to impinge or make contact especially forcefully

See impact defined for English-language learners

See impact defined for kids

Examples of impact in a Sentence

No one is sure how these changes will impact our relations with other countries.
Both events negatively impacted her life.
The tax increase will impact low-income families the most.
The poor economy is impacting on small businesses.
A crater was formed at the point where the meteor impacted the planet's surface.

Recent Examples of impact from the Web

Other websites and apps impacted appear to be Instagram and Facebook Messenger, which are also part of Facebook.

— max londberg and kelsey ryan, kansascity, "Facebook is down as some users are unable to login. Site blames ‘required maintenance’," 26 Aug. 2017
Earlier this summer, data from the Pew Research Center revealed that 58% of Republicans surveyed believe universities negatively impact the way things are going in the U.S.

— kyler sumter, USA TODAY College, "Most Republicans see U.S. colleges as too 'liberal and political'," 21 Aug. 2017
The number of active learners impacted by Reading Works increased from 2,000 in 2014 to 4,000 in 2017.

— ann zaniewski, Detroit Free Press, "Hilarie Chambers named new director of Reading Works," 2 Aug. 2017
In most male narwhals, one of those teeth develops as the tusk, while the other typically remains impacted in the jaw.

— jacob brogan, Smithsonian, "Does the Narwhal’s Majestic Tusk Have a Point?," 29 July 2017
UPDATED: Details about service changes impacting B and Q trains.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "The Q Train Derails in Brooklyn," 21 July 2017
The cuts, which are impacting about 2 percent of Vice's 3,000 person staff, comes as the company grows its video operations internationally.

— natalie jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, "Vice Media Lays Off 60 Employees Amid Video Expansion," 21 July 2017
So far, the row hasn’t impacted the zloty, which set a one-month high to the euro on Tuesday.

— wojciech moskwa, Bloomberg.com, "Polish Battle Over Court Revamp Turns Into Shouting Match," 19 July 2017
Another change will impact the southern portion of the Summit of Park Ridge shopping center parking lot.

— jennifer johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Park Ridge aldermen approve several Uptown parking changes," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impact.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of impact

Latin impactus, past participle of impingere to push against — more at impinge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1601

See Words from the same year

impact Synonyms

Synonyms

¹affect, impress, influence, move, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), touch

Antonyms

dislodge, root (out), uproot

Related Words

carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall (or enthral), ravish, transport; bias, color; inspire, stir; engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce; afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring; allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate

Near Antonyms

bore, jade, pall, tire, weary; underwhelm

impact

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noun im·pact \ ˈim-ˌpakt \

Definition of impact

1 a :an impinging or striking especially of one body against another

b :a forceful contact or onset; also :the impetus communicated in or as if in such a contact

2 :the force of impression of one thing on another :a significant or major effect

the impact of science on our society

an environmental impact study

See impact defined for English-language learners

Examples of impact in a Sentence

No one could have survived such an impact.
These warnings have been heard so often that they have lost their impact.
The book had a huge impact when it first came out.
We need to be concerned about the environmental impacts of all this construction.
She expects to make an immediate impact at work.

Recent Examples of impact from the Web

Perhaps there is an untold side of the story that will emerge over time and mitigate the impact of what the Times described.

— henry farrell, Washington Post, "A liberal think tank has just pushed out an employee who criticized Google. That’s worrying.," 30 Aug. 2017
That’s not to say Hurricane Harvey won’t eventually have some sort of impact in Idaho.

— michael katz, idahostatesman, "Noticed an increase at Idaho gas pumps? It’s not because of Hurricane Harvey ... yet," 30 Aug. 2017
The study of its cause and impact is ongoing in the scientific community.

— susmita baral, Teen Vogue, "Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder, Explained," 29 Aug. 2017
Flooding from Harvey has forced several refineries off-line along the Gulf Coast, and motorists have begun to feel that impact.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Donation drive planned in Bel Air Wednesday to aid Harvey victims," 29 Aug. 2017
The Nationals more than offset Stanton’s impact by peppering Marlins starter Vance Worley with five runs on nine hits in fewer than five innings.

— clark spencer, miamiherald, "Stanton gets his 51st home run in a Marlins loss to the Nationals," 29 Aug. 2017
Since July 2014, when a draft environmental impact study was first released, a host of financing options have been tossed out.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Few answers exist on how to pay for I-10 Bridge project as Alabama turns to the private sector," 28 Aug. 2017
Griffin fears the impact of what happened to her will resonate further.

— yashar ali, The Cut, "Off With Her Head," 27 Aug. 2017
Senior wide receiver Noah Herdman gets right to the point when assessing Ryan Wheeler's impact at Neuqua Valley.

— blake baumgartner, Naperville Sun, "Neuqua's Ryan Wheeler aims to duplicate baseball success in football," 22 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of impact

1781

impact Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of impact

impact, collision, shock, concussion mean a forceful, even violent contact between two or more things. impact may be used to imply contact between two things, at least one of which is impelled toward the other.

- the glass shattered on impact with the floor

collision implies the coming together of two or more things with such force that both or all are damaged or their progress is severely impeded.

- the collision damaged the vehicle

shock often denotes the effect produced by a collision and carries the suggestion of something that strikes or hits with force.

- the shock of falling rocks

concussion when not in technical use, often suggests the shattering, disrupting, or weakening effects of a collision, explosion, or blow.

- bystanders felt the concussion of the blast

IMPACT Defined for English Language Learners

impact

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verb

Definition of impact for English Language Learners

: to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone)
: to hit (something) with great force

impact

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noun

Definition of impact for English Language Learners

: the act or force of one thing hitting another
: a powerful or major influence or effect

IMPACT Defined for Kids

impact

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noun im·pact \ ˈim-ˌpakt \

Definition of impact for Students

1 :a striking of one body against another :collision

The meteor's impact left a crater.

2 :a strong effect

He warned of the economic impact.

impact

play

verb im·pact \ im-ˈpakt \

Definition of impact for Students

impacted; impacting

1 :to have a strong and often bad effect on

This change will impact all schools.

2 :to hit with great force

Learn More about impact

See words that rhyme with impact Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for impact Spanish Central: Translation of impact Nglish: Translation of impact for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of impact for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about impact

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impact

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impact

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