All 4 Uses of
affront
in
Great Expectations
- He pretended that his Christian name was Dolge,—a clear Impossibility,—but he was a fellow of that obstinate disposition that I believe him to have been the prey of no delusion in this particular, but wilfully to have imposed that name upon the village as an affront to its understanding.†
p. 119.0
- He attached no definite meaning to the word that I am aware of, but used it, like his own pretended Christian name, to affront mankind, and convey an idea of something savagely damaging.†
p. 139.4 *
- I am surprised, Matthew, that you should expose me to the affront of interference.†
p. 202.9
- Startop, being a lively, bright young fellow, and Drummle being the exact opposite, the latter was always disposed to resent him as a direct personal affront.†
p. 227.3
Definitions:
-
(1)
(affront as in: an affront to society) an intentional insult; or to intentionally insult
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely, but sometimes seen in classic literature, affront can refer to any face-to-face exchange -- especially one involving a candid or controversial conversation.