affront
Americannoun
noun
verb
-
to insult, esp openly
-
to offend the pride or dignity of
-
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
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.
The homelessness charity Centrepoint was named as a response to the building by founder Rev Ken Leech, who described the tower as "an affront to the homeless".
From BBC
Caught in the grip of challenging sociopolitical backdrops, his magnetic and brooding men — whether bold authority figures, conflicted everyday guys, notorious outlaws or those in positions of power — represent an affront to the status quo.
From Los Angeles Times
"Their arrest, prosecution and conviction for harassment were an egregious affront on those rights and they are delighted to have finally been exonerated."
From BBC
“Ideologically it’s an affront, aesthetically it’s an affront ... on a piano, it’s not just a chord, this is a tone cluster,” said Hamza Walker, of the reimagined statue.
From Los Angeles Times
"Such systematic persecution is not only an affront to the Church of God but also a public challenge to the international community," Zion Church said in a statement.
From BBC
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.
