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Webster 1913 Edition

Affront

Af-front′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Affronted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Affronting
.]
[OF.
afronter
, F.
affronter
, to confront, LL.
affrontare
to strike against, fr. L.
ad
+
frons
forehead, front. See
Front
.]
1.
To front; to face in position; to meet or encounter face to face.
[Obs.]
All the sea-coasts do
affront
the Levant.
Holland.
That he, as ’t were by accident, may here
Affront
Ophelia.
Shakespeare
2.
To face in defiance; to confront;
as, to
affront
death
; hence, to meet in hostile encounter.
[Archaic]
3.
To offend by some manifestation of disrespect; to insult to the face by demeanor or language; to treat with marked incivility.
How can any one imagine that the fathers would have dared to
affront
the wife of Aurelius?
Addison.
Syn. – To insult; abuse; outrage; wound; illtreat; slight; defy; offend; provoke; pique; nettle.

Af-front′

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
affront
, fr.
affronter
.]
1.
An encounter either friendly or hostile.
[Obs.]
I walked about, admired of all, and dreaded
On hostile ground, none daring my
affront
.
Milton.
2.
Contemptuous or rude treatment which excites or justifies resentment; marked disrespect; a purposed indignity; insult.
Offering an
affront
to our understanding.
Addison.
3.
An offense to one's self-respect; shame.
Arbuthnot.
Captious persons construe every innocent freedom into an
affront
. When people are in a state of animosity, they seek opportunities of offering each other
insults
. Intoxication or violent passion impels men to the commission of
outrages
.
Crabb.

Webster 1828 Edition

Affront

AFFRONT'

,
Verb.
T.
[L. frons, front, face.]
1.
Literally, to meet or encounter face to face, in a good or bad sense; as,
The seditious affronted the king's forces
[The foregoing sense is obsolete.]
2.
To offer abuse to the face; to insult, dare or brave openly; to offer abuse or insult in any manner, by words or actions; as, to affront one by giving him the lie.
3.
To abuse, or give cause of offense to, without being present with the person; to make slightly angry; a popular use of the word.

AFFRONT'

,
Noun.
1.
Opposition to the face; open defiance; encounter. Obs.
2.
Ill treatment; abuse; any thing reproachful or contemptuous, that excites or justifies resentment, as foul language, or personal abuse. It usually expresses a less degree of abuse than insult
3.
Shame; disgrace. [Not used.]
4.
In popular language, slight resentment; displeasure.

Definition 2024

Affront

Affront

See also: affront

German

Noun

Affront m ‎(genitive Affronts, plural Affronts)

  1. affront

Declension

Synonyms

Luxembourgish

Etymology

Borrowing from French affront.

Noun

Affront m ‎(plural Affronten)

  1. affront

affront

affront

See also: Affront

English

Verb

affront ‎(third-person singular simple present affronts, present participle affronting, simple past and past participle affronted)

  1. To insult intentionally, especially openly.
    • Addison
      How can anyone imagine that the fathers would have dared to affront the wife of Aurelius?
  2. To meet defiantly; to confront.
    to affront death
    • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 436:
      Avignon was beginning to settle down for the night – that long painful stretch of time which must somehow be affronted.
  3. (obsolete) To meet or encounter face to face.
    • Holland
      All the sea-coasts do affront the Levant.
    • Shakespeare
      That he, as 'twere by accident, may here / Affront Ophelia.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:offend

Translations

Noun

affront ‎(plural affronts)

  1. An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.
    Such behavior is an affront to society.‎
  2. (obsolete) A hostile encounter or meeting.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:offense

Related terms

Translations

French

Etymology

from Old French afront

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.fʁɔ̃/

Noun

affront m ‎(plural affronts)

  1. affront, insult, snub

Derived terms

Anagrams

Etymology

Borrowing from French affront.

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