Word of the Day - 03/24/26
affront
/ə'frənt/(n.): a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect
His public dismissal of her ideas was a direct affront to her authority and expertise.
(v.): treat, mention, or speak to rudely
I felt affronted when he interrupted me mid-sentence and dismissed my concerns.
Word Origin
The word 'affront' originates from Old French 'afronter', meaning "to slap in the face, insult." This in turn comes from the Latin prefix 'ad-' (meaning "to" or "at") and 'frons' (meaning "forehead" or "face"). Thus, it literally means "to the face" or "at the face," implying a direct challenge or insult.
Words with similar origins include 'front' (directly from Latin 'frons'), 'confront' (from Latin 'com-' meaning "with" and 'frons'), and 'effrontery' (from Latin 'ex-' meaning "out of" and 'frons', referring to a shameless display of the face).