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(), v. 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. Shak. 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. Affront" n.[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. Syn. -- Affront, Insult, Outrage. An affront is a designed mark of disrespect, usually in the presence of others. An insult is a personal attack either by words or actions, designed to humiliate or degrade. An outrage is an act of extreme and violent insult or abuse. An affront piques and mortifies; an insult irritates and provokes; an outrage wounds and injures. 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 c スポンサード リンク
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