affront
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to insult, esp openly
-
to offend the pride or dignity of
-
obsolete to confront defiantly
Synonym Usage
See insult.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
affrontednessnoun
-
affronternoun
-
reaffrontnoun
-
unaffrontedadjective
-
affrontedlyadverb
-
affrontinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
affrontsimple
-
affrontssimple
-
have affrontedperfect
-
has affrontedperfect
-
am affrontingprogressive
-
are affrontingprogressive
-
is affrontingprogressive
-
have been affrontingperfect progressive
-
has been affrontingperfect progressive
Past
-
affrontedsimple
-
had affrontedperfect
-
was affrontingprogressive
-
were affrontingprogressive
-
had been affrontingperfect progressive
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Our Town
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
For them, the dance floor was not an affront.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
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
Event organisers claim Enhanced will push the limits of human performance while critics, especially in the Olympic movement, dismiss it as an affront to the spirit and founding principles of competitive sport.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
His happiness is an affront to their own chronic displeasure.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
Some of us had other theories, but only Miranda seemed to take Naomi’s happiness as a personal affront.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Travelers’ affronts in Europe’s tourist zones are sometimes glaringly apparent: pounding music from late-night parties, or puddles of vomit on doorsteps in quiet residential streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2024
The exploitation of the poor, migrants and women are also described as affronts to human dignity.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2024
Toomey, of course, was detailing these affronts in the cool comfort of the Senate.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 2, 2022
But others worry that the postponement will have a chilling effect on institutions, making them wary of the very thing museums are meant to do: present art that provokes, stimulates and sometimes even affronts.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2022
He that loves him, honors him; he that loves him not, affronts him.
From True Christianity by Arndt, Johann
"He brings in the female demographic because he is so sexy - but he appeals to men. He's an honest, good, authentic, down-to-earth type of individual. So you don't really get affronted by him."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
An afterthought if not a redheaded stepchild, though expect affronted fellow media outlets to freak out because of what NBC News once was, not what it is.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
But it wasn’t just Catholics who were affronted.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026
And all indications are that he is prepared to inflict considerable economic and environmental damage to assuage his affronted pride.
From Seattle Times ● May 19, 2024
“No, not I,” Mona objected, as if affronted.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
He was a peacock: intent on blinding small people with his brilliance, affronting an older generation he detested and belittling everyone but himself - especially Vivienne.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2022
He added that the imposing structure of his 1881 novel was laid on a “single small cornerstone, the conception of a certain young woman affronting her destiny.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2017
It’s a mildly affronting experience that — as with some other signifiers of the modern world, a child’s noisy video game included — seems to help push him into nature.
From New York Times ● Sep. 1, 2015
Without affronting palace privacy, it has done its best to keep the public up-to-date on each new development in the case.
From Time Magazine Archive
You did so much of consequence, Mr. Durham, and you did it so manfully and nobly that I would not think of affronting you with any offer of a reward.
From The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park The Rival Photo Theatres of the Boardwalk by Appleton, Victor [pseud.]
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.
