unaffected

unaffected — adjective

1. staying the same or continuing as before, without being changed or interrupted b

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

staying the same or continuing as before, without being changed or interrupted by something that happens

Example

Aoi's mood remained unaffected by the stressful news from the office.

remain / seem + unaffected + by [something] — passive-like copular pattern

The storm damaged many houses, but the old church was left completely unaffected.

passive: be left + unaffected

Common collocations
  • unaffected by
  • remain unaffected
  • completely unaffected
  • largely unaffected
  • seem unaffected
Synonyms
  • unchanged

    emphasises that something is exactly the same as before; does not imply any external force was resisted

  • untouched

    suggests no physical contact or influence at all

  • unaltered

    more formal, often used for documents, records, or abstract states

Antonyms
  • affected

    showing change or damage as a result of something

  • influenced

    changed in some way by an external force or person

  • harmed

    damaged or injured by something

Grammar Patterns

unaffected + by + noun phrase

remain / seem + unaffected

be left + unaffected

Usage Note

Often used with the preposition 'by' to introduce the thing that does not cause a change. Common in copular structures with verbs like 'remain', 'seem', and in passive constructions like 'be left unaffected'.

Common Mistakes

The disease was unaffected on the medicine.
The disease was unaffected by the medicine.
'unaffected' is followed by 'by' (not 'on') to indicate what fails to produce a change.

2. behaving or speaking in a way that feels true to your personality, without tryin

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

behaving or speaking in a way that feels true to your personality, without trying to impress others or pretending to be different

Example

Sade's unaffected manner during the interview impressed the whole hiring team.

unaffected + manner / way of + [doing something] — attributive use

People liked Élise's unaffected way of talking, with no fancy words or false politeness.

Common collocations
  • unaffected manner
  • unaffected way
  • unaffected charm
  • unaffected laughter
  • unaffected friendliness
Synonyms
  • natural

    broader term; can describe behaviour, appearance, or talent that feels effortless

  • sincere

    focuses on honesty and truthfulness rather than lack of pretence

  • genuine

    emphasises that feelings or qualities are real, not put on for show

  • spontaneous

    highlights a lack of planning or rehearsal in behaviour

Antonyms
  • affected

    behaving in an artificial way to impress others

  • pretentious

    trying to appear more important or sophisticated than you really are

  • artificial

    not natural; made to seem like something it is not

Grammar Patterns

unaffected + noun (manner, way, charm, laughter, friendliness)

Usage Note

This sense carries a strongly positive meaning. It describes a person's character or behaviour as genuine and free from pretence. Typically used attributively before nouns such as 'manner', 'way', 'charm', 'laughter', or 'friendliness'. Not used to describe objects or situations.

Common Mistakes

She gave an unaffected smile after winning the prize.' (ambiguous — could mean she didn't care)
She gave an unaffected smile that showed her true happiness.
add context showing naturalness rather than indifference.

Word family

  • affect
    verbB1
  • affected
    adjectiveB2
  • affection
    nounB1
  • affectation
    nounC1
  • unaffecting
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all describe something that has not been changed or damaged. Unaffected (sense 1) emphasises that an external event or force did not have its usual impact — 'the coastal town was unaffected by the flood'. Unchanged simply states that something is the same as before, without implying any external threat — 'the view from her window was unchanged after twenty years'. Untouched suggests something was not physically contacted at all — 'the food on the table remained untouched'. Unaltered is more formal and often used for abstract things, data, or official records — 'the terms of the contract were left unaltered'. Unharmed focuses specifically on safety and the absence of injury — 'all the passengers emerged from the crash unharmed'. Choose 'unaffected' when you want to stress that something resisted a potential influence, and 'unharmed' when the main concern is safety.

unaffected ↗unchanged ↗untouched ↗unalteredunharmed ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') to 'affected', the past participle of 'affect'. The verb 'affect' comes from Latin 'afficere', meaning 'to do something to, act on, influence'. The first sense ('not influenced') appeared in English around the 1580s. The second sense ('natural and sincere') developed in the early 1700s, drawing on the idea of being 'not affected' in the sense of 'not putting on airs or artificial behaviour'.