confront

[ kuhn-fruhnt ]
See synonyms for: confrontconfrontedconfronting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to face in hostility or defiance; oppose: The feuding factions confronted one another.

  2. to present for acknowledgment, contradiction, etc.; set face to face:They confronted him with evidence of his crime.

  1. to face and deal with boldly or directly: The city refuses to confront the real reason for the housing shortage.

  2. to stand or come in front of; stand or meet facing: The two long-separated brothers confronted each other speechlessly.

  3. to be in one's way: the numerous obstacles that still confronted him.

  4. to bring together for examination or comparison.

Origin of confront

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin confrontārī, equivalent to Latin con-, variant of intensive prefix com- + -frontārī, derivative of Latin frōns (stem front- ) “forehead”; see origin at con-, front

Other words from confront

  • con·front·er, noun
  • re·con·front, verb (used with object)
  • un·con·front·ed, adjective

Words Nearby confront

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use confront in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for confront

confront

/ (kənˈfrʌnt) /


verb(tr)
  1. (usually foll by with) to present or face (with something), esp in order to accuse or criticize

  2. to face boldly; oppose in hostility

  1. to be face to face with; be in front of

  2. to bring together for comparison

Origin of confront

1
C16: from Medieval Latin confrontārī to stand face to face with, from frons forehead

Derived forms of confront

  • confronter, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012