As a noun, impact is the force of one thing hitting another, or the strong effect something has on a person, situation, or environment. As a verb, to impact means to affect something strongly or to hit it with force.
From Latin "impactus," past participle of "impingere" meaning "to push against," from "in-" (into) and "pangere" (to fasten). The sense of strong influence developed from the physical idea of a hard hit.
Try Another Word