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
  • Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of insulting
Verb
  • Interestingly, there is no statistically detectable difference in offending rates before college, suggesting the future fraternity members weren’t always fundamentally different in their behavior.
    — Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • What that means is that drone hunter just locked on to the offending drone.
    — Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of offending
Adjective
  • Chargers-Chiefs game prediction If not for the Chargers’ outrageous injury list, this would make for the perfect situation to pick a surprise Los Angeles win, or at the very least a cover.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Nené — outrageous and drag-inflected — opens Sebastián up to the power of queerness, and Cruz played a similar role for Guitarricadelafuente.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 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
  • North Korea described the Hero Kim Kun Ok as one of the navy’s key offensive assets when it was unveiled in 2023.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Given all of Los Angeles’ injuries along its offensive line, this weekend’s matchup should present opportunities for the Chiefs’ front seven to get back to the quarterback — and perhaps earn a Cram Award along the way.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • Of course, parents should intervene when a coach is abusive or a child is genuinely being mistreated.
    — Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The policy prohibited speakers from directing remarks to individual council members and restricted comments considered personal or abusive.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • He has been charged with murder, two counts of indecent behavior involving a minor, and concealing a corpse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • There Lizzie threw parties for the actress Nance O’Neil and her theater company, which Emma thought were indecent.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 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

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affronting
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Cite this Entry

“Affronting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affronting. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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