Main Entry: ¹af·front

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈfrənt\

Function: transitive verb

Etymology: Middle English afronten, from Anglo-French afrunter to defy, from Vulgar Latin *affrontare, from Latin ad- + front-, frons forehead

Date: 14th century

1 a : to insult especially to the face by behavior or language b : to cause offense to <a system of law about both family and marriage that affronted lay society — J. H. Mundy>
2 a : to face in defiance : confront <affront death> b obsolete : to encounter face-to-face
3 : to appear directly before

synonyms see offend