affront

American  

[uh-fruhnt] / əˈfrʌnt /

noun

1. a personally offensive act or word; deliberate act or display of disrespect; intentional slight; insult.

   an affront to the king.

   Synonyms:

   outrage, abuse, indignity, scorn, contumely, impertinence

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to offend by an open manifestation of disrespect or insolence.

   His speech affronted all of us.

   Synonyms:

   abuse, slight, insult

2. to make ashamed or confused; embarrass.

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

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

affront British  

/ əˈfrʌnt /

noun

1. a deliberate insult

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verb

1. to insult, esp openly

2. to offend the pride or dignity of

3. obsolete to confront defiantly

Related Words

See insult.

Other Word Forms

• affrontedly adverb
• affrontedness noun
• affronter noun
• affrontingly adverb
• reaffront noun
• unaffronted adjective

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."

Example Sentences

What Cannon claimed as a personal affront, though, was merely Smith following the law.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2026

In that 2011 note, he called Tesla “America’s Fourth Automaker,” an affront to the Big Three in Detroit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called it a "real affront" to the victims' families.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

In curling, the accusations alone were an affront to the sport’s tradition and dignity.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2025

It was the size of a hummingbird, and it was vibrating with affront.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• indignity
• provocation
• slight