Af*front" (#), 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 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.
© Webster 1913.
Af*front", 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 commission of outrages.
Crabb.
© Webster 1913.