Library / English Dictionary

AFFRONT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect

Example:

turning his back on me was a deliberate insult

Synonyms:

affront; insult

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("affront" is a kind of...):

discourtesy; offence; offense; offensive activity (a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "affront"):

indignity (an affront to one's dignity or self-esteem)

outrage; scandalisation; scandalization (the act of scandalizing)

Derivation:

affront (treat, mention, or speak to rudely)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Treat, mention, or speak to rudely

Example:

the student who had betrayed his classmate was dissed by everyone

Synonyms:

affront; diss; insult

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "affront" is one way to...):

bruise; hurt; injure; offend; spite; wound (hurt the feelings of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to affront Sue

Derivation:

affront (a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Never, madam, cried he, affronted in his turn: never, I assure you. I think seriously of Miss Smith!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Could he expect to be noticed again by the regiment, after such an affront to Colonel Forster?

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Lady Russell was extremely sorry that such a measure should have been resorted to at all, wondered, grieved, and feared; and the affront it contained to Anne, in Mrs Clay's being of so much use, while Anne could be of none, was a very sore aggravation.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

They were far from being an irritable race; far from any quickness in catching, or bitterness in resenting, affronts: but here, when the whole was unfolded, was an insult not to be overlooked, nor, for the first half hour, to be easily pardoned.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

She took the first opportunity of affronting her mother-in-law on the occasion, talking to her so expressively of her brother's great expectations, of Mrs. Ferrars's resolution that both her sons should marry well, and of the danger attending any young woman who attempted to DRAW HIM IN; that Mrs. Dashwood could neither pretend to be unconscious, nor endeavor to be calm.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Don't be affronted, said she, laughing, but it does put me in mind of some of the old heathen heroes, who, after performing great exploits in a foreign land, offered sacrifices to the gods on their safe return.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Catherine, weak-spirited, irritable, and completely under Lydia's guidance, had been always affronted by their advice; and Lydia, self-willed and careless, would scarcely give them a hearing.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

That she was coming to apologize, and that they should have to spend the evening by themselves, was the first black idea; and Mary was quite ready to be affronted, when Louisa made all right by saying, that she only came on foot, to leave more room for the harp, which was bringing in the carriage.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Oh! Do not say Miss Tilney was not angry, cried Catherine, because I know she was; for she would not see me this morning when I called; I saw her walk out of the house the next minute after my leaving it; I was hurt, but I was not affronted.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

She was not in a humour, however, to regard it as an affront, and affecting to take no notice of what passed, by instantly talking of something else, she internally resolved henceforward to catch every opportunity of eyeing the hair and of satisfying herself, beyond all doubt, that it was exactly the shade of her own.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)