as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
took it as an affront that she wasn't invited to say a few words at the ribbon-cutting ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offends
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
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Recent Examples of affronts
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
Any tension between them, though, stems from personal affronts, while their ideological differences exist as a largely unremarked upon undercurrent.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, some on Wall Street continue to warn of complacency in financial markets amid affronts to the Fed’s independence, persistent nerves about a bubble and increasingly fraught geopolitics.
—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Shaban’s chief response to this and other affronts is silence.
—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
And those affronts to standard Hollywood operating procedure threaten millions of jobs across the industry.
—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
Bukele, after a disastrous month for his image, was not willing to tolerate any more affronts.
—
Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez,
The Dial,
16 Sep. 2025
These constituencies view the sanctions and the tariffs as otherwise legal instruments weaponized for geopolitical purposes—and as direct affronts to Brazil’s democratic integrity.
—
Hussein Kalout,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
These things are murders and affronts to the dignity of human life.
—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
Any tension between them, though, stems from personal affronts, while their ideological differences exist as a largely unremarked upon undercurrent.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, some on Wall Street continue to warn of complacency in financial markets amid affronts to the Fed’s independence, persistent nerves about a bubble and increasingly fraught geopolitics.
—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Shaban’s chief response to this and other affronts is silence.
—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
And those affronts to standard Hollywood operating procedure threaten millions of jobs across the industry.
—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
Bukele, after a disastrous month for his image, was not willing to tolerate any more affronts.
—
Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez,
The Dial,
16 Sep. 2025
These constituencies view the sanctions and the tariffs as otherwise legal instruments weaponized for geopolitical purposes—and as direct affronts to Brazil’s democratic integrity.
—
Hussein Kalout,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affronts
Noun
-
According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs.
-
Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Verb
-
But something about this circus just offends me on a spiritual level.
-
And if that notion offends you, stay home and watch on television, and turn your man caves into casinos.
Noun
-
Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.
-
More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
Noun
-
Ream’s grown accustomed to such indignities, especially from Richards, the Crystal Palace standout who squared off with Ream in the English Premier League when Ream played for Fulham.
-
The family members either submitted to the indignities—the false testimony, the obscene bullet fees—or were asked for bribes as high as $7,000 to avoid consigning their relatives to mass graves.
Cite this Entry
“Affronts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affronts. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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