Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Brazen boldness; presumptuousness.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Assurance; shamelessness; sauciness; impudence or boldness in transgressing the bounds of modesty, propreity, duty, etc.: as, the effrontery of vice; their corrupt practices were pursued with bold effrontery.
- n. Synonyms Impertinence, etc. (see impudence); hardihood, audacity. See list under impertinence.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Impudence or boldness in confronting or in transgressing the bounds of duty or decorum; insulting presumptuousness; shameless boldness; barefaced assurance.
WordNet 3.0
- n. audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to
Etymologies
- From late 17th century French effronterie, from effronté ("shameless, insolent"), from Old French esfronté, from Vulgar Latin *exfrontātus, from Latin exfrōns ("barefaced"), from prefix ex- ("from") + frōns ("forehead"). (Wiktionary)
- French effronterie, from effronté, shameless, from Old French esfronte, from Vulgar Latin *effrontātus, alteration of Late Latin effrōns, effront- : ex-, ex- + frōns, front-, front, forehead. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Yet there she was, and moving with a leisureliness that must be described as effrontery!”
“Christian Sabbath, nor "approves the creed" of any orthodox denomination, to be lecturing a numerous body of Clergymen, as to what they ought or ought not to do, it is the culmination of all that is called effrontery!”
“Their latest topic is the "effrontery" of Jon Stewart who, by interviewing Jim Cramer, invaded their territory.”
“Their latest topic is the "effrontery" of ... digg”
“So, I find I can't agree that his presence is an "effrontery," although I wholeheartedly agree that it is politically incongruous.”
“Armond saw the same "effrontery" found in British punk, and the provocative words and song titles heard from The Smiths.”
“And he, embarrassed and shaken for the moment by this sudden visitation, was still heartened and hardened into a kind of effrontery and gallantry such as he had not felt as yet in regard to her.”
“This is a much more frequent cause than one might think of the exhibition of an effrontery which is apparently deliberate and intentional.”
“They call loudly for the Knights, who enter as the Chorus to assist them against Cleon, encouraging the sausage-seller to show the brazen effrontery which is the mob-orator's sole protection, and to prove that a decent upbringing is meaningless.”
“She returned to court nevertheless, and constantly denying her marriage, fought it out with the effrontery which is so easily forgiven, in fashionable life, to youth, wit, and beauty.”
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 55, No. 340, February, 1844
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘effrontery’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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501
Classic
mete, ire, bane, bilk, boor, elan, ado, toil, onus, aberration, abstruse, anomaly and 401 more...
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GRE Barron's 800
zealot, wistful, welter, wary, whimsical, warranted, vortex, vivisection, volatile, vitiate, viscous, visage and 787 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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From reading
Collected from reading
venerate, reprobate, reticent, adoration, ethereal, ephemeral, equivocal, contumacious, heinous, solicitous, agnostic, aberration and 335 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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man gre
abase, abeyance, abreast, abscission, abscond, abyss, accede, accretion, acerbic, acidulous, acumen, adulterate and 483 more...
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GRE
GRE words from Princeton Review guide, ETS GRE Book from 2010 (for revised test), New Yorker/NY Times articles.
sycophant, obsequious, volubility, equanimity, enervate, effrontery, impertinent, platitude, impudence, quiescent, propitiate, equivocate and 124 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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stuff i had to look up for english class
purged, steeped, conspiracy, quaking, excommunication, marvels, disposition, effrontery, gait, indignation, transfixed, befuddled and 8 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1907 more...
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Words from Moby Dick
frigate, presumptuous, genteel, succor, hearthstone, gentry, factitious, bilious, insurgent, portent, enervate, genuflect and 303 more...
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apjoseph's words
insurmountable, ubiquitous, unequivocal, incumbent, asinine, amenable, sycophants, precarious, malevolent, gregarious, raison detra, nefarious and 200 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for effrontery.
dailyword This word was used in an episode of "The Borgias." Jun 15, 2012
dbekeny OZ'S VOICE
And you, Scarecrow, have the effrontery to
ask for a brain?
Jun 7, 2010
Prolagus The advice that is wanted is commonly not welcome and that which is not wanted, evidently an effrontery.
(Samuel Johnson) Mar 11, 2008