# Yes, the word 'impact' may be used as a verb **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384 "2012-04-30T03:09:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/41 "2012-05-03T01:26:42Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > _Impact_ as a verb originally implied a physical effect, especially as a result of heavy force. Otherwise, _affect_ is a perfectly usable word, and there was no reason to switch it out with _impact_. But in corporate circles it became trendy to use _impact_ all the time instead of _affect_, and then that radiated out to the general population. “No reason”? You already told us the reason: “impact” implies a certain physical effect. When it’s used to describe something non-physical, that effect carries over as a metaphor. If I affect something, that effect might be soft or hard. If I impact something, it’s understood that that effect is solid. Words have connotations, and using connotations deliberately is one of the marks of a good writer. [Awesome–and I use that word advisedly, in its correct meaning of “really cool”–defense of the word "impact](http://everythingyouknowaboutenglishiswrong.com/sample-impact.html). ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/42 "2012-05-03T05:03:37Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > “No reason”? You already told us the reason: “impact” implies a certain physical effect. When it’s used to describe something non-physical, that effect carries over as a metaphor. Please–obviously when I say “no reason” I mean in those cases when it has no reason to carry that particular connotation. In other words, just mechanically using it instead of _affect_ nearly all the time, which is what has happened for a while now, so as to gradually leech away the original distinction. That benefit is pretty much sapped away, now. People on CNN say things like, “How does that impact the debate in Iran”, etc., just automatically, without any particular reason to apply that kind of metaphor–simply because it sounds more “journalistic,” or dramatic. It could be used to good effect, as you point out, if this weren’t the case, but instead by overuse it has become trite and worn out. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/43 "2012-05-03T12:02:08Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Well, were you using _impact_ instead of _affect_, simply because you thought it makes you sounds smarter, or that it makes your idea sound more important? > > Because that’s really what the problem (often) is. It’s corporate-speak. > > _Impact_ as a verb originally implied a physical effect, especially as a result of heavy force. Otherwise, _affect_ is a perfectly usable word, and there was no reason to switch it out with _impact_. But in corporate circles it became trendy to use _impact_ all the time instead of _affect_, and then that radiated out to the general population. > > Someone who is aware of that history might well be motivated to take off half a percent, out of sheer annoyance. Honestly, the reason I used the word impact is because in the previous sentence I had used the word affect. I didn’t want to double up on affect. Thanks for that link, Dorkness. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/44 "2012-05-03T12:36:57Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > I had a professor who took off points for use of the passive voice. That would have been OK if he knew what the passive voice was but he thought that any form of the verb “to be” indicated usage of the passive voice. It’s difficult to write a history paper without using the words “was” and “were”. Fortunately, he was impressed by the use of fancy words like “albeit” so I peppered my papers with such words to cancel out the ones lost to the passive voice. Sounds more like an advocate of E-Prime. (English from which all forms of the verb _to be_ are forbidden.) Did he have any books by Korzybski on his shelf? But then _albeit_ has the verb _be_ in it, which means he was either contradicting himself or didn’t know vocabulary all that well. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/45 "2012-05-03T14:41:54Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Please–obviously when I say “no reason” I mean in those cases when it has no reason to carry that particular connotation. It’s not at all obvious that’s what you meant. In fact, what you wrote says exactly the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/46 "2012-05-03T15:03:00Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Indeed; I adopt a supercilious affect and effect to point out my grammar knowledge to everyone when someone forgets that affect is the verb and effect is the noun. And, of course, “effect” can also be a verb and “affect” (with stress on the first syllable) can be a noun. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/47 "2012-05-03T15:06:55Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Well, were you using _impact_ instead of _affect_, simply because you thought it makes you sounds smarter, or that it makes your idea sound more important? > > Because that’s really what the problem (often) is. It’s corporate-speak. > > _Impact_ as a verb originally implied a physical effect, especially as a result of heavy force. Otherwise, _affect_ is a perfectly usable word, and there was no reason to switch it out with _impact_. But in corporate circles it became trendy to use _impact_ all the time instead of _affect_, and then that radiated out to the general population. > > Someone who is aware of that history might well be motivated to take off half a percent, out of sheer annoyance. Well, I hate to do this to such a good student, but I have to dock your grade, **guizot** , for this post for using “really” instead of “actually”. I know it’s a perfectly legitimate usage, but it annoys me. And apparently that’s all the reason I need. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/48 "2012-05-03T15:11:21Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Sounds more like an advocate of E-Prime. (English from which all forms of the verb _to be_ are forbidden.) Did he have any books by Korzybski on his shelf? But then _albeit_ has the verb _be_ in it, which means he was either contradicting himself or didn’t know vocabulary all that well. He may have been advocating E-Prime but he never told us to write that way and he wrote “Passive voice!” next to every use of a form of the verb “to be” so he wasn’t completely clear on the concept. If he insisted that all papers be written in that style he should have told us upfront so I could have dropped the class immediately. I later had a boss who insisted that we never use the passive voice (in speech or writing) but at least he actually understood what the passive voice is. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/49 "2012-05-03T15:20:07Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And, of course, “effect” can also be a verb and “affect” (with stress on the first syllable) can be a noun. Really? I clearly, based on the text you quoted, had no idea! ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384/50 "2012-05-03T21:34:41Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Well, I hate to do this to such a good student, but I have to dock your grade, **guizot** , for this post for using “really” instead of “actually”. I know it’s a perfectly legitimate usage, but it annoys me. And apparently that’s all the reason I need. You need to read more carefully, because I don’t agree with what this instructor did. I simply said that I can understand why someone would do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-the-word-impact-may-be-used-as-a-verb/620384.md?page=2)