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
Far more egregious an affront to the overall guest experience is the drab, sterile gut job on the restaurant’s iconic interior design. Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025 To categorize the mission as a failure not only is egregious, as this projection is an affront toward our president, but also, by any measure, the mission was a huge success. Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
The weaving of such a powerful — and in the view of some true believers, actually magical — drug within the broader social fabric may affront some true-believing psychonauts’ own purity tests. John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025 Still, the National Rally, affronted, has turned from the soft, ubiquitous imagery of Ms. Le Pen with her beloved pet cats to the claws of confrontation. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for affront
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affront
Noun
  • Young Thug wasn’t the only target, however, as his girlfriend, Mariah The Scientist, also caught a few shots for entertaining Thugger’s insults over the phone.
    Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Bluesky, part of the decentralized internet, is slower paced and caters to niche interests, rewarding internecine fights over minutiae, whereas X is deliberately chaotic, encouraging the gathering of follower-armies and ideological insult-comedy for an audience that may be largely made up of bots.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When arthritis pain flares up, the area around the offending joint becomes inflamed and slightly acidic.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Unlike the common perception that assault requires hitting or causing injury, the law says even an act meant only to offend, like spitting, can be enough to trigger a charge.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In fact, Western leaders are mostly appeasing domestic constituencies outraged by the suffering of ordinary Gazans.
    Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Other Sky fans were similarly surprised and outraged by an unexpected announcement of an automatic renewal with a substantial increase last year.
    Ben Pickman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Contempt often hides within sarcasm or ridicule.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Like Bong, Park has a very deadpan way with sarcasm, and the opening sequence is simply dripping with it: paper company safety executive You Man-su (Lee) is celebrating his wife’s birthday by barbecuing rare, delicious eel steaks, a gift from work to mark 25 years of service.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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