Impact as a Verb Still Annoys People
An impact is a forceful collision, or a strong effect. Using it as a verb meaning to affect remains contested.
An impact is a collision, and by extension a marked effect. Its use as a verb meaning *to affect* has been irritating editors for decades: critics say *affect* already exists, defenders point out that English turns nouns into verbs constantly. The literal verb, as in an impacted tooth, has never bothered anyone.
- A collision. *The impact of the crash.*
- A strong effect. *A lasting impact.*
- To strike. *The meteor impacted the surface.*
- To affect (contested). *It impacted sales.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | impact | Environmental impact. |
| Plural | impacts | Wider impacts. |
| Verb | impact | Impacted the results. |
| Adjective | impacted | An impacted tooth. |
| Related | impinge | Impinge on rights. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The decision had a major impact.Noun: uncontroversial.
- An impacted wisdom tooth.Wedged and unable to emerge.
- It impacted the timetable.Contested; *affected* is safer.
Nouns that became verbs
- impact — still contested
- contact — objected to in the 1930s, now standard
- access — objected to in the 1960s, now standard
- host, message, gift — all faced the same complaints
- Pattern — objections usually fade within a generation
From Latin *impactus*, past participle of *impingere*, to push against, from *in* and *pangere*, to fix or drive in.
Is *impact* acceptable as a verb?
It is widely used and understood, but many editors prefer affect. In formal writing, affect is the safer choice.
What is an impacted tooth?
One that cannot emerge properly because it is blocked by bone or another tooth. Wisdom teeth are the usual case.