Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

affront

/əˈfrənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.89 in modern English

Syllables
af-front
IPA
/əˈfrənt/
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To insult intentionally, especially openly.

Transitive verb

verb

To be an affront to; offend.

Transitive verb

verb

To meet defiantly; to confront.

Transitive verb

verb

To meet or encounter face to face.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

noun

An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.

noun

A hostile encounter or meeting.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English afrounten, from Old French afronter (“to hit in the face; to defy”), from Vulgar Latin *affrontare (“to hit in the face”), from Latin ad (“to”) + frōns (“forehead”) (English front). By surface analysis, af- + front.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: afrounten, afronter, *affrontare, ad

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /əˈfrənt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce affront?
The recorded pronunciation is /əˈfrənt/.
What does affront mean?
To insult intentionally, especially openly.
Where does affront come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce affront

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “affront”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əˈfrənt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “affront”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “affront” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.