affront

1 of 2

verb

af·front ə-ˈfrənt How to pronounce affront (audio)

affronted; affronting; affronts

transitive verb

: to insult especially to the face by behavior or language

He was affronted by her rudeness.

: to cause offense to

laws that affront society

: to face in defiance : confront

affront death

obsolete : to encounter face-to-face

: to appear directly before

affront

2 of 2

noun

: a deliberate offense : insult

an affront to his dignity

obsolete : a hostile encounter

Did you know?

The Middle English "afronten," the ancestor of the Modern English verb "affront," was borrowed from the Anglo-French afrunter, a verb which means "to defy" but which also has the specific meaning "to strike on the forehead" or "to slap on the face." These more literal senses reveal the word's Latin origins, a combination of the Latin prefix ad-, meaning "to" or "towards," and "front-, frons," which means "forehead" (and which is also the source of the English word front). While the striking or slapping sense of "afrunter" was not adopted by English, it is alluded to in the oldest uses of "afronten" in Middle English in the sense of "to insult especially to the face."

Example Sentences

Verb did not mean to affront you when I told you I didn't need your help Noun He regarded her rude behavior as a personal affront. took it as an affront that she wasn't asked to help cook Thanksgiving dinner

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Its product refuses to entertain while its meta events such as the Oscars affront those who are naïve enough to beg it for escapism.

Armond White, National Review, 28 Apr. 2021 Life itself, then, could affront and ridicule and even torment the provocateur: the mocker brutally mocked by personal reality.

New York Times, 1 Apr. 2021 Other customers show up without masks, occasionally reacting belligerently or as if personally affronted when asked to put on a mask or practice social distancing.

Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2020 Judge for yourself whether Errol Morris’ documentary American Dharma affronts the Republic by being too kind to Bannon.

Kyle Smith, National Review, 1 Nov. 2019 And while some may point to Kenny Dalglish or Steven Gerrard as Mr. Liverpool, either of those men would be affronted at that suggestion, because the only true contender is Bill Shankly.

SI.com, 23 July 2019 Snowden says he was affronted by the rank hypocrisy of it all.

Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2019 It’s hard to imagine anybody feeling affronted by him.

Barton Swaim, WSJ, 21 June 2019 Which is obviously why so many people are affronted by it.

Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 July 2018

Noun

Some fear the erasure of historical memory, or see an affront to their own ancestors who fought alongside the Soviets.

Vanessa Gera, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Aug. 2022 The events presented an affront to China and its leader, Xi Jinping.

Paul Mozur, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 The events presented an affront to China and its leader, Xi Jinping.

New York Times, 3 Aug. 2022 That’s not an affront to womanhood, or a subtraction.

Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 13 July 2022 Jenkins was a crystal-ball prophesy of Blasey Ford, feminist manipulation gone berserk, an affront to all observers.

Armond White, National Review, 6 July 2022 Just as the officers at the Capitol were the last line of defense on January 6, the Justice Department is the last line of defense for our democracy in making sure that those who are responsible for this affront to our democracy pay a steep price.

Michael Fanone, CNN, 12 June 2022 The two nonaligned Nordic nations becoming part of the alliance would pose an affront to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has cited NATO’s post-Cold War expansion in Eastern Europe as a threat to Russia.

Oleksandr Stashevskyi And Ciaran Mcquillan, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2022 His appointment first came under fire as a potential affront to Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, after Bibb declined to keep him on the board following a series of controversial actions Wondolowski had taken against Bibb’s election campaign.

Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 18 Apr. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English afronten, afrounten, borrowed from Anglo-French afrunter "to strike the front of, shame," derivative from the phrase a frunt "facing, openly, blatantly," from a "to, at" (going back to Latin ad) + frunt "front entry 1, forehead" — more at at entry 1

Noun

borrowed from Middle French, noun derivative of affronter "to affront entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

单词	affronting
释义	affront 1 of 2 verb af·front ə-ˈfrənt affronted; affronting; affronts transitive verb 1 a : to insult especially to the face by behavior or language He was affronted by her rudeness. b : to cause offense to laws that affront society 2 a : to face in defiance : confront affront death b obsolete : to encounter face-to-face 3 : to appear directly before affront 2 of 2 noun 1 : a deliberate offense : insult an affront to his dignity 2 obsolete : a hostile encounter Did you know? The Middle English "afronten," the ancestor of the Modern English verb "affront," was borrowed from the Anglo-French afrunter, a verb which means "to defy" but which also has the specific meaning "to strike on the forehead" or "to slap on the face." These more literal senses reveal the word's Latin origins, a combination of the Latin prefix ad-, meaning "to" or "towards," and "front-, frons," which means "forehead" (and which is also the source of the English word front). While the striking or slapping sense of "afrunter" was not adopted by English, it is alluded to in the oldest uses of "afronten" in Middle English in the sense of "to insult especially to the face." Synonyms Verb dis [slang] diss disrespect insult offend outrage slap slight wound Noun barb brickbat cut dart dig dis [slang] diss epithet gird indignity insult name offense offence outrage personality poke put-down sarcasm slap slight slur See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb did not mean to affront you when I told you I didn't need your help Noun He regarded her rude behavior as a personal affront. took it as an affront that she wasn't asked to help cook Thanksgiving dinner Recent Examples on the Web Verb Its product refuses to entertain while its meta events such as the Oscars affront those who are naïve enough to beg it for escapism. Armond White, National Review, 28 Apr. 2021 Life itself, then, could affront and ridicule and even torment the provocateur: the mocker brutally mocked by personal reality. New York Times, 1 Apr. 2021 Other customers show up without masks, occasionally reacting belligerently or as if personally affronted when asked to put on a mask or practice social distancing. Anchorage Daily News, 2 June 2020 Judge for yourself whether Errol Morris’ documentary American Dharma affronts the Republic by being too kind to Bannon. Kyle Smith, National Review, 1 Nov. 2019 And while some may point to Kenny Dalglish or Steven Gerrard as Mr. Liverpool, either of those men would be affronted at that suggestion, because the only true contender is Bill Shankly. SI.com, 23 July 2019 Snowden says he was affronted by the rank hypocrisy of it all. Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2019 It’s hard to imagine anybody feeling affronted by him. Barton Swaim, WSJ, 21 June 2019 Which is obviously why so many people are affronted by it. Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 July 2018 Noun Some fear the erasure of historical memory, or see an affront to their own ancestors who fought alongside the Soviets. Vanessa Gera, Anchorage Daily News, 31 Aug. 2022 The events presented an affront to China and its leader, Xi Jinping. Paul Mozur, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 The events presented an affront to China and its leader, Xi Jinping. New York Times, 3 Aug. 2022 That’s not an affront to womanhood, or a subtraction. Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 13 July 2022 Jenkins was a crystal-ball prophesy of Blasey Ford, feminist manipulation gone berserk, an affront to all observers. Armond White, National Review, 6 July 2022 Just as the officers at the Capitol were the last line of defense on January 6, the Justice Department is the last line of defense for our democracy in making sure that those who are responsible for this affront to our democracy pay a steep price. Michael Fanone, CNN, 12 June 2022 The two nonaligned Nordic nations becoming part of the alliance would pose an affront to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has cited NATO’s post-Cold War expansion in Eastern Europe as a threat to Russia. Oleksandr Stashevskyi And Ciaran Mcquillan, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2022 His appointment first came under fire as a potential affront to Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, after Bibb declined to keep him on the board following a series of controversial actions Wondolowski had taken against Bibb’s election campaign. Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 18 Apr. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb Middle English afronten, afrounten, borrowed from Anglo-French afrunter "to strike the front of, shame," derivative from the phrase a frunt "facing, openly, blatantly," from a "to, at" (going back to Latin ad) + frunt "front entry 1, forehead" — more at at entry 1 Noun borrowed from Middle French, noun derivative of affronter "to affront entry 1" First Known Use Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Kids Definition affront 1 of 2 verb af·front ə-ˈfrənt affronted; affronting : to insult openly : offend He was affronted by her rude behavior. affront 2 of 2 noun : an act or statement that insults or offends someone affronting 1 of 2 adjective as in insulting Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance insulting offending outraging outrageous offensive opprobrious indecent truculent obscene abusive vulgar vituperative invective contumelious filthy scurrilous disdainful vitriolic contemptuous gross crude scornful coarse scandalous foulmouthed maligning traducing foul vituperatory dirty vilifying defamatory slanderous scurril malicious spiteful potty-mouthed scurrile unbridled libelous hateful malevolent immoderate intemperate unrestrained nasty libellous Antonyms & Near Antonyms respectful deferential moderate temperate polite civil judicious courteous gracious discreet mannerly tempered laudatory encomiastic praiseful laudative See More affronting 2 of 2 verb present participle of affront as in offending to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in did not mean to affront you when I told you I didn't need your help Synonyms & Similar Words insulting offending outraging disrespecting taunting displeasing upsetting slapping wounding disturbing slighting mocking hurting troubling dissing ridiculing distressing snubbing jeering disparaging maligning tormenting torturing defaming slandering oppressing libeling reviling libelling miffing paining smearing persecuting cutting slurring sneering (at) Antonyms & Near Antonyms approving applauding acclaiming praising complimenting hailing commending eulogizing flattering honoring exalting gratifying pleasing adulating delighting glorifying satisfying sweet-talking See More
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affront

verb

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

noun

adjective

verb