affront

[ uh-fruhnt ]
See synonyms for: affrontaffrontedaffronting on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a personally offensive act or word; deliberate act or display of disrespect; intentional slight; insult: an affront to the king.

  2. an offense to one's dignity or self-respect.

verb (used with object)
  1. to offend by an open manifestation of disrespect or insolence: His speech affronted all of us.

  2. to make ashamed or confused; embarrass.

  1. Archaic. to front; face; look on.

  2. Obsolete. to meet or encounter face to face; confront.

Origin of affront

1
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

synonym study For affront

1. See insult.

Other words for affront

Other words from affront

  • af·front·ed·ly, adverb
  • af·front·ed·ness, noun
  • af·front·er, noun
  • af·front·ing·ly, adverb
  • re·af·front, noun, verb (used with object)
  • un·af·front·ed, adjective

Words Nearby affront

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

How to use affront in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for affront

affront

/ (əˈfrʌnt) /


noun
  1. a deliberate insult

verb(tr)
  1. to insult, esp openly

  2. to offend the pride or dignity of

  1. obsolete to confront defiantly

Origin of affront

1
C14: from Old French afronter to strike in the face, from Vulgar Latin affrontāre (unattested), from the Latin phrase ad frontem to the face

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