affronting 1 of 2

adjective

as in insulting

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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
  • The target of the anger and scorn in all the insulting posters, slogans, and graffiti of the protest zone was not the education minister but Modi himself.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The big reveal that Rey was really the still-not-dead Emperor’s grand-daughter was incoherent and kind of insulting.
    — Adam Frank, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of insulting
Verb
  • Organizations often overlook early warning signs because the offending individual delivers strong business results.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • That feels easy enough to follow, particularly when breaking the rule risks offending Zeus, the god of foreigners.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of offending
Adjective
  • If there were credible evidence supporting these outrageous accusations, that simply would not be the case.
    — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
  • The business world has quickly learned that there’s such a thing as using too much AI, as they get slammed with outrageous token bills.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 July 2026
Definition of outrageous
Verb
  • 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
  • Sabally departed for New York after the 2025 season, and the Mercury have struggled to replace her offensive production, ranking 12th in the league in offensive rating this year.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The poor offensive production spoiled a night when the Angels got good enough pitching, despite scratching Soriano.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • Attorneys representing Emmanuel Haro's 3-year-old claimed Riverside County failed to protect the children from their abusive parents, ultimately leading to the 7-month-old's death last year.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Her attorneys have alleged that Obumseli was abusive and argued that Clenney was a battered partner.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • Andrew Tate faces 42 charges, including rape, human trafficking, indecent images of a child and assault, according to the UK Crown Prosecution Service and Bedfordshire Police.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Defendants in those cases now face charges including grooming, indecent solicitation of a minor and traveling to meet a minor.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Affronting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affronting. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on affronting

Nglish: Translation of affronting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All