affront

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To insult intentionally, especially openly. See Synonyms at offend.
2. v. To meet defiantly; confront.
3. v. Obsolete To meet or encounter face to face.
4. n. An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult: Such behavior is an affront to society.
5. n. Obsolete A hostile encounter or meeting.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To meet or encounter face to face; confront; front; face.
2. To offend by an open manifestation of disrespect; put a slight upon; offend by effrontery or insolence: as, to affront one by doubting his word; an affronting speech.
3. To put out of countenance; make ashamed or confused; give a shock to.
4. n. The act of opposing face to face; open defiance; encounter.
5. n. A personally offensive act or word; an intentional or supercilious slight; an open manifestation of disrespect or contumely; an insult to the face.
6. n. Shame; disgrace; anything producing a feeling of shame or disgrace.
7. n. Synonyms Affront, Insult, Indignity, Outrage, provocation, impertinence, offense, rudeness. These words express disrespect shown in a way that is, or is meant to be, galling. An affront is generally open and to the face. An insult is stronger, perhaps accompanied by more insolence of manner; it is a deeper disgrace and a greater injury to the feelings of its object. An indignity is, specifically, treatment that is unworthy — an affront, insult, injury, or outrage from which one's condition or character should have saved one: as, Zenobia was subjected to the indignity of being led in chains at Aurelian's triumph. An outrage, primarily involving the idea of violence to the person, is a wanton transgression of law or propriety in any way, the perpetration of that which is shamefully contrary to the dictates of humanity or even decency; toward a person it is a combination of insult with indignity; hence it often stands for extreme abusiveness of language. It has freedom of use sufficient to make proper such expressions as, an outrage to his feelings, an outrage to all decency.

Wiktionary

1. v. To insult intentionally, especially openly.
2. v. To meet defiantly; to confront.
3. v. To meet or encounter face to face.
4. n. An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.
5. n. A hostile encounter or meeting.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To front; to face in position; to meet or encounter face to face.
2. v. To face in defiance; to confront; ; hence, to meet in hostile encounter.
3. v. To offend by some manifestation of disrespect; to insult to the face by demeanor or language; to treat with marked incivility.
4. n. An encounter either friendly or hostile.
5. n. Contemptuous or rude treatment which excites or justifies resentment; marked disrespect; a purposed indignity; insult.
6. n. An offense to one's self-respect; shame.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect
2. v. treat, mention, or speak to rudely