affront
pronunciation
How to pronounce affront in British English:
UK [əˈfrʌnt]
How to pronounce affront in American English:
US [ əˈfrʌnt]
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- Noun:
- a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of an affront
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- Verb:
- treat, mention, or speak to rudely
Word Origin
- affront
- affront: [14] The present-day notion of ‘insulting someone’ has replaced the more direct action of hitting them in the face. Affront comes, via Old French afronter, from Vulgar Latin *affrontāre ‘strike in the face’, which was formed from the Latin phrase ad frontem, literally ‘to the face’.=> front
- affront (v.)
- early 14c., from Old French afronter "to face, confront, to slap in the face" (13c.), from Late Latin affrontare "to strike against," from Latin ad frontem "to the face," from ad (see ad-) + frons (genitive frontis) "forehead, front" (see front (n.)). Related: Affronted; affronting.
- affront (n.)
- 1590s, from affront (v.).
Synonym
Example
- 1. The foreign ministry argued that it was an affront to national sovereignty .
- 2. Actions are perceived as a personal affront , an insult or slight .
- 3. His conduct was an affront to " my dignity as a woman " , she wrote , before demanding a public apology .
- 4. How do you know she finds your race and gender a personal affront ?
- 5. She views me , a white male , as a personal affront .