Affront \Af*front"\, 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.]

All the sea-coasts do affront the Levant. --Holland.

That he, as 't were by accident, may here
Affront Ophelia. --Shak.

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

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

How can any one imagine that the fathers would have
dared to affront the wife of Aurelius? --Addison.

Syn: To insult; abuse; outrage; wound; illtreat; slight;
defy; offend; provoke; pique; nettle.