im‧pact 1 S3 W2 AC / ɪmpækt / 名词

1 [可数名词] the effect or influence that an event, situation etc has on someone or something

impact on/upon

We need to assess the impact on climate change.

major/significant/profound etc impact

Higher mortgage rates have already had a major impact on spending.

impact of

an international meeting to consider the environmental impacts of global warming ► Do not say ‘cause an impact’ on something. Say have an impact on something.

2 [可数和不可数名词] the force of one object hitting another :

The force of the impact knocked the breath out of her.

3 on impact at the moment when one thing hits another :

The plane’s wing was damaged on impact.

COLLOCATIONS

形容词

big/great Winning this competition could have a big impact on my life. | His impact was greater than that of the Beatles.

huge/enormous/massive Industry has a huge impact on the environment we live in. | The impact has been enormous on people’s daily lives.

small New technologies have only had a small impact on the overall level of employment.

minimal/negligible (= very small and not important ) The change in government had a minimal impact in the rural areas of the country.

positive (= having a good effect ) Cuts in federal spending should have a positive impact on America’s economic future.

negative/damaging (= having a bad effect ) The expansion of the airport would have a negative impact on the environment.

disastrous (= a very bad effect ) His leg injury had a disastrous impact on his career as a footballer.

a major/significant impact (= important ) The war had a major impact on French domestic politics.

a profound impact (= very important ) Population growth has a profound impact on world food demand.

an adverse impact formal (= a bad effect ) The loss of forests has had an adverse impact on bird populations.

a real impact informal (= a big impact ) The film made a real impact on cinema audiences.

a lasting impact (= one that lasts for a long time ) The arrival of the railways made a lasting impact on many sectors of the economy.

a long-term impact Scientists are calculating the long-term impact of the floods.

a short-term/immediate impact A military attack may only have a short-term impact on terrorist activity.

an emotional/psychological impact Their mother’s death had a huge emotional impact on the children.

an economic impact It is difficult to measure the economic impact of the war.

an environmental impact The environmental impact of the construction project is being investigated.

the full impact of something South Wales felt the full impact of the recession.

the potential/likely impact He’s studying the potential impact of climate change.

动词

have an impact New technology has had a massive impact on our lives.

make an impact The product quickly made an impact on the market.

feel the impact of something The industry has felt the impact of rising fuel prices.

reduce/lessen/soften the impact of something (= make it less severe or unpleasant ) The chemical industry is looking at ways to reduce its impact on the environment.

lose impact (= have less effect ) The picture loses impact when it is reduced in size.

THESAURUS

effect a change that is caused by an event, action etc : The people in this area are still suffering from the effects of the famine. | The treatment had little or no effect.

impact an effect that happens as a result of something important, especially a big and permanent effect : Changes in technology have had a massive impact on the way we work. | the environmental impact of industrial activity

influence the effect that something has on people’s opinions or behaviour, or on how something develops : American television has had a big influence on popular culture in the west. | His ideas had a lot of influence at the time.

side effect an unwanted and unplanned effect that something has – used especially about drugs and medical treatment : Common side effects of the drug may include headaches and muscle pains.

after-effects British English , aftereffects American English bad effects that continue for a long time after the thing that caused them : A traumatic experience can have severe psychological after-effects. | the after-effects of the war

repercussions / ripəkʌʃ ə ns $ -pər-/ / the effects that happen later as a result of an event or decision, especially a range of effects that continue for a long time : The scandal could have serious repercussions for her career. | The judge’s decision is likely to have important repercussions for future cases of this kind.

a knock-on effect British English used when something has an effect on something, which then has an effect on something else : Higher oil prices have a knock-on effect on other fuels.

footprint the effect that human activities have on the environment, caused by using up its natural resources, pollution, waste etc : Businesses all over the world must attempt to reduce their environmental footprint. | The house has a low carbon footprint (= it uses very little energy from carbon and therefore is good for the environment ) .