influence

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response the news reports of the devastating flood influenced a great many people to make contributions for food and supplies Synonyms of influence impact, impress, affect, move, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), touchWords Related to influence 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, fascinateNear Antonyms of influence bore, jade, pall, tire, weary; underwhelm

1 the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly a mayor who doesn't hesitate to use her influence to get business leaders behind civic improvements Synonyms of influence authority, clout, credit, heft, in, juice [slang], leverage, pull, sway, weight Words Related to influence counterinfluence; command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; consequence, eminence, importance, moment; impact, impress, impression, imprint, mark Near Antonyms of influence helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

2 the power to bring about a result on another the basic premise of astrology is that the position of the stars has an influence on human affairs Synonyms of influence impact, effect, mark, repercussion, swayWords Related to influence authority, clout, prestige, pull, weight; command, domination, dominion, mastery; consequence, importance, significance; sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacyNear Antonyms of influence helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness