affront
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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to insult, esp openly
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to offend the pride or dignity of
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obsolete to confront defiantly
Synonym Usage
See insult.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unaffrontedadjective
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affrontinglyadverb
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reaffrontnoun
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affronternoun
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affrontedlyadverb
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affrontednessnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has affrontedperfect 3rd person singular
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have affrontedperfect
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have been affrontingperfect progressive
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are affrontingprogressive
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affrontssingular 3rd person
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am affrontingprogressive 1st person singular
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is affrontingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been affrontingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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affrontingparticiple
Past
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had affrontedperfect
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were affrontingprogressive plural
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had been affrontingperfect progressive
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affrontedparticiple
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was affrontingprogressive singular
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affrontedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of affront
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English afrounten, from Middle French af(f)ronter “to strike in the face,” from unattested Vulgar Latin affrontāre, derivative of Latin phrase ad frontem “at or toward the forehead” (as the seat of one's feelings or dignity). See ad-, front
Explanation
An affront is an action that causes offense. If someone blows smoke in your face after you've asked him to put out his cigarette, you would consider it an affront. Affronter was an old French word meaning "to confront" or "slap in the face." It's from the Latin, ad frontem, meaning "to the face." Sure, a slap in the face would still be considered an affront, but other non-physical actions would also count. Some would even call a misplaced apostrophe an affront to the English language. Don't confuse affront with effrontery, which means "presumptuousness."
Vocabulary lists containing affront
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
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Our Town
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Soccer, Luna believes, represents an affront to the individualistic mindset that plagues today’s world because, by nature, it must happen in community.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
His happiness is an affront to their own chronic displeasure.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Full-blown impostor syndrome can be crippling, and we miss opportunities to grow if we see every criticism as an affront.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
State governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri shared photos of himself arriving at the scene, describing the attack as an "affront to our humanity".
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
This latest affront was too much for the students to bear.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
