affronting 1 of 2

adjective

as in insulting

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affronting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of affront
as in offending
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in did not mean to affront you when I told you I didn't need your help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 affronting
Adjective
But the pop culture of twelve years ago is baffling, uncanny, affronting. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affronting
  1. insulting
  2. offending
  3. outrageous
  4. outraging
  5. offensive
  6. abusive
  7. indecent
  8. vituperative
Adjective
  • At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This struck Stevens and her allies as immature, insulting, and more than a little sexist.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of insulting
Verb
  • O’Herrin notes that chopping down the offending tree is not going solve your issue in the long term.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Organizations often overlook early warning signs because the offending individual delivers strong business results.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of offending
Adjective
  • John Oliver’s soap opera summer continues this week, with the Last Week Tonight host donning a truly outrageous wig for a three-episode stint on Days of Our Lives.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, Gems’ multiple drafts were only the beginning; once the script was ready to green-light, Burton’s design and effects teams had to figure out how to actually bring Gems’ outrageous flights of imagination to life.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of outrageous
Verb
  • The Hitlerite hordes are murdering and outraging the peaceful inhabitants of our country, having no mercy on women, children or old people.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.
    — Justin Fishel, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of outraging
Adjective
  • The Dream had a chance to win when Reese collected an offensive rebound with the score tied in the final seconds of regulation.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Mario, an offensive tackle, would help UM win national titles in 1989 and ‘91.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • The Madison Heights resident in 2023 moved into a new apartment after leaving an abusive relationship of four years, according to the lawsuit.
    — Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Her hiring came after allegations of a toxic and abusive culture within the department surfaced in a 2020 lawsuit filed by Jennifer Conviser, a sport psychologist who had consulted with DePaul’s athletic department from 2005 to 2018.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • In the realms of art, literature, film, and television, words and images that would once have been considered indecent, offensive, or immoral are now commonplace, especially in the West.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In October 2025, Morris pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child and was sentenced to six months in the Osage County, Oklahoma, jail.
    — Giles Hudson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of indecent
Adjective
  • In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.
    — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
  • The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Definition of vituperative

Browse Nearby Words

affronted
affronting
affronts
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Cite this Entry

“Affronting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affronting. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on affronting

Nglish: Translation of affronting for Spanish Speakers

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