affront

[uh-fruhnt]

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.

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

/ əˈfrʌnt /

noun

1. a deliberate insult

verb

1. to insult, esp openly

2. to offend the pride or dignity of

3. obsolete,  to confront defiantly

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of affront¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of affront¹

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

Synonym Study

See insult.

Example Sentences

A week’s cancellation of late-night comedy due to White House outrage is an affront to free speech.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

When misused, stop and search was "an enormous waste of police time" and "an unacceptable affront to justice", she said at the time.

Read more on BBC

ANL's lawyers have staunchly denied the allegations, previously calling the case "without foundation" and an "affront" to hard-working journalists whose reputations had been disparaged.

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Attorney General Pamela Bondi said: "This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our president, but an affront to our very nation itself."

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And, arguably, two major affronts to the president's authority.

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Related Words

• indignity 
• provocation 
• slight