different between affront vs aspersion

English

Etymology

From Middle English afrounten, from Old French afronter (“to defy”), from Vulgar Latin *affrontare (“to hit in the face”), from Latin ad (“to”) + fr?ns (“forehead”) (English front).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f??nt/
• Rhymes: -?nt

Verb

affront (third-person singular simple present affronts, present participle affronting, simple past and past participle affronted)

1. To insult intentionally, especially openly.
2. To meet defiantly; to confront.

   to affront death

   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 436:

     Avignon was beginning to settle down for the night – that long painful stretch of time which must somehow be affronted.

3. (obsolete) To meet or encounter face to face.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:offend

Translations

Noun

affront (plural affronts)

1. An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.
2. (obsolete) A hostile encounter or meeting.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:offense

Related terms

• effrontery

Translations

References

• “affront”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

French

Etymology

From Old French afront. Synchronically analysable as a deverbal of affronter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.f???/

Noun

affront m (plural affronts)

1. affront, insult, snub

Derived terms

• afront

Descendants

• ? Polish: afront
• ? Romanian: afront

Further reading

• “affront” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• offrant

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??fr?nt/

Verb

affront (third-person singular present affronts, present participle affrontin, past affrontit, past participle affrontit)

1. to affront; cause to feel ashamed; cause to blush; to humiliate (in front of others), to offend (not necessarily with intention)

References

• Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.

English

Etymology

From Latin aspersi?nem, from aspersi? (“sprinkling”).

Noun

aspersion (plural aspersions)

1. An attack on somebody's reputation or good name, often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon…. [from late 16th c.]

   Synonyms: calumny, slander; see also Thesaurus:slander
2. (obsolete) A sprinkling, especially of holy water.
   • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 4 scene 1

     If thou dost break her virgin knot before

     All sanctimonious ceremonies may

     With full and holy rite be minister'd,

     No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall

     To make this contract grow; but barren hate […]

3. (in the plural) slander, calumny

Derived terms

• cast aspersions

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “aspersion”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• repassion

French

Noun

aspersion f (plural aspersions)

1. aspersion
2. sprinkling