affront

See also Affront

English

WOTD – 5 February 2010    

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English afrounten, from Old French afronter (“to defy”), from Vulgar Latin *affrontare (“to hit in the face”), from Latin ad (“to”) + frons (“forehead”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈfɹʌnt/, X-SAMPA: /@"fr\Vnt/
• Rhymes: -ʌnt

Verb

affront (third-person singular simple present affronts, present participle affronting, simple past and past participle affronted)

1. To insult intentionally, especially openly.
2. To meet defiantly; to confront.
   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 436:

     Avignon was beginning to settle down for the night – that long painful stretch of time which must somehow be affronted.

3. (obsolete) To meet or encounter face to face.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:offend

Translations

to insult intentionally, especially openly

• Armenian: վիրավորել (hy) (viravorel)
• Bulgarian: оскърбявам (bg) (oskǎrbjavam)
• Dutch: belediging (nl) f
• Finnish: loukata (fi), solvata (fi), herjata (fi)

• French: défier (fr), jeter le gant (fr), envoyer un cartel (fr)
• Russian: оскорблять (ru) (oskorbljatʹ)
• Spanish: afrentar (es), ofender (es)
• Swedish: skymfa (sv), förolämpa (sv)

to meet defiantly; confront

• Bulgarian: излизам насреща на (bg) (izlizam nasrešta na)
• Finnish: vastustaa (fi)

• French: se confronter (fr)

to meet or encounter face to face

• French: rencontrer sur le terrain (fr), aller sur le pré (fr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Nahuatl: pinauia

Noun

affront (plural affronts)

1. An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.

   Such behavior is an affront to society.

2. (obsolete) A hostile encounter or meeting.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:offense

Translations

open or intentional offense, slight, or insult

• Armenian: վիրավորանք (hy) (viravorank’)
• Bulgarian: обида (bg) (obida), оскърбление (bg) (oskǎrblenie)
• Esperanto: insulto (eo)
• Finnish: loukkaus (fi), solvaus (fi)
• French: défi (fr) m, affront (fr) m

• German: Affront (de) m
• Italian: affronto (it) m
• Portuguese: afronta (pt) f
• Russian: оскорбление (ru) (oskorblenije) n
• Spanish: afrenta (es) f
• Swedish: skymf (sv), förolämpning (sv)

hostile encounter or meeting

• French: duel (fr) m, rencontre (fr) m

---

French

Etymology

from Old French afront

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /a.fʁɔ̃/, X-SAMPA: /a.fRO~/

Noun

affront m (plural affronts)

1. affront, insult, snub

Derived terms

• afront

Anagrams

• offrant