Impacted

I was asked to write a post on the word "impact", specifically about its use as a verb. So that's what I'm doing tonight. (If you have any special requests, you are always welcome to contact me.)

To begin with, 'impact' is fairly well known as a noun. An impact is basically a collision. When a meteor strikes the earth, it leaves an impact crater; this is literally a crater that was formed at the point (and time) of impact. 

In theory, the verb form of the word seems obvious. If you want to change the world, then you want to impact it, right? Well, sadly it's not right. 

When you use it as a verb, 'impact' basically means 'packed in'. So if you want to impact people, it means you want to cram them into a small area. 

Generally, what people mean is that they want to make an impact on people. 

Whenever people use 'impacted' my first thought is the example where I learned the word: people who are constipated have impacted feces in their intestines. Because of this connection, whenever I hear somebody say they were impacted, my mind says "you're full of shit."

The word most people mean to use is "affect". You affect people, not impact them. As a writer, I do make sure to use the right words in this case, and my knee jerk reaction is skin crawling when I hear it.