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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

verb

  1. to insult, esp openly

  2. to offend the pride or dignity of

  3. obsolete to confront defiantly

"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

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bovino flailed back at every affront instead of focusing on his mission, not realizing his recklessness was eroding public support for his cause and threatening it altogether.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

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

Someone whose touch is a reassurance, not an affront or a nuisance.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.