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 impact, impress, affect, move, reach, strike, sway, tell (on), touchRelated 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, fascinateNear Antonyms 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 authority, clout, credit, heft, in, juice [slang], leverage, pull, sway, weight Related Words counterinfluence; command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; consequence, eminence, importance, moment; impact, impress, impression, imprint, mark Near Antonyms 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 impact, effect, mark, repercussion, swayRelated Words authority, clout, prestige, pull, weight; command, domination, dominion, mastery; consequence, importance, significance; sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacyNear Antonyms helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness