What does “effect” mean?
- 1
nouna change or result that something causes
The new law had a big effect on small businesses.
- 2
nounspecial sounds or images used in films, games or shows
The movie’s special effects were amazing.
Effect at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ɪˈfɛkt/ · ih-FEKT
How to use “effect” correctly
“Effect” is usually a noun and “affect” is usually a verb: “Stress affects sleep” but “Stress has an effect on sleep.”
Common phrases with “effect”
- have an effect on
- side effect
- take effect
- in effect
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
Word family
- effective
- effectively
- ineffective
- effectiveness
Idioms with “effect”
- A snowball effect: A situation where something small grows bigger and faster as it continues.
“effect” is on these word lists
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