v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Affronted; p. pr. & vb. n. Affronting. ] [ OF. afronter, F. affronter, to confront, LL. affrontare to strike against, fr. L. ad + frons forehead, front. See Front. ] 1. To front; to face in position; to meet or encounter face to face. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

All the sea-coasts do affront the Levant. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

That he, as 't were by accident, may here
Affront Ophelia. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To face in defiance; to confront; as, to affront death; hence, to meet in hostile encounter. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To offend by some manifestation of disrespect; to insult to the face by demeanor or language; to treat with marked incivility. [ 1913 Webster ]

How can any one imagine that the fathers would have dared to affront the wife of Aurelius? Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To insult; abuse; outrage; wound; illtreat; slight; defy; offend; provoke; pique; nettle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. affront, fr. affronter. ] 1. An encounter either friendly or hostile. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I walked about, admired of all, and dreaded
On hostile ground, none daring my affront. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Contemptuous or rude treatment which excites or justifies resentment; marked disrespect; a purposed indignity; insult. [ 1913 Webster ]

Offering an affront to our understanding. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An offense to one's self-respect; shame. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Affront, Insult, Outrage. An affront is a designed mark of disrespect, usually in the presence of others. An insult is a personal attack either by words or actions, designed to humiliate or degrade. An outrage is an act of extreme and violent insult or abuse. An affront piques and mortifies; an insult irritates and provokes; an outrage wounds and injures. Captious persons construe every innocent freedom into an affront. When people are in a state of animosity, they seek opportunities of offering each other insults. Intoxication or violent passion impels men to the commission of outrages. Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. affronté, p. p. ] (Her.) Face to face, or front to front; facing. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Shamelessly. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who receives an affront. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who affronts, or insults to the face. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an affronting manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to affront or offend; offensive; abusive. [ 1913 Webster ]

How affrontive it is to despise mercy. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality that gives an affront or offense. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]