affront 1 of 2

affront

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word affront distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of affront are insult, offend, and outrage. While all these words mean "to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment," affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

When is it sensible to use insult instead of affront?

While the synonyms insult and affront are close in meaning, insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When can offend be used instead of affront?

Although the words offend and affront have much in common, offend need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim's sense of what is proper or fitting.

hoped that my remarks had not offended her

In what contexts can outrage take the place of affront?

The synonyms outrage and affront are sometimes interchangeable, but outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of affront
Noun
And when the butt of the joke is the MAGA movement itself, some readers will inevitably take it as an affront. Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025 Not being able to abduct grade-schoolers is an affront to his clan’s heritage. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Verb
There needs to be a very direct conversation about standards and a hard dose of affronting honesty. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025 The two women, initially welcomed, soon affront their hosts with their pesky independence of mind and spirit. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for affront
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affront
Noun
  • Adding insult, he was called for eight fouls in Tuesday night’s victory over the Golden State Warriors, with players allowed 10 in summer league, four above the regular-season maximum.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2025
  • Amid the mix of compliments and insults from obvious trolls, many thought ATB bore a striking resemblance to another member of the family.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Some of Lamar’s bars in that track offended Drake and helped ignite their public feud.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • The firing of career prosecutors calls to mind how Bondi, as Florida attorney general, forced out two assistants who offended a Jacksonville company linked to mortgage fraud investigations.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • The release also outraged some supporters of the president, who had been promised that more details would be made public.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2025
  • What further outraged Roberts and another Cook accuser, however, is what did not appear in the report: that the mayor, who was married and more than 30 years older than each woman at the time, sent them late-night and personal texts alluding to poetry.
    Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Fans in the comments applauded Carpenter’s use of sarcasm to indirectly address the hoopla.
    Sam Reed, Glamour, 26 June 2025
  • There’s always a little colored sarcasm in our music, there’s a little tongue-in-cheek, but then there is always some really deep meaningful subject matter on our records, too.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Affront.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affront. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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