Affront vs Abase - What's the difference?

As a noun affront

is .

(archaic) to lower physically or depress; to stoop; to throw or cast down; as, to abase the eye .

(wikipedia affront)

(en verb)

To insult intentionally, especially openly.

* Addison

How can anyone imagine that the fathers would have dared to affront the wife of Aurelius?

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 .

(obsolete) To meet or encounter face to face.

* Holland

All the sea-coasts do affront the Levant.

* Shakespeare

That he, as 'twere by accident, may here / Affront Ophelia.

* See also

(en noun)

An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.

Such behavior is an affront to society.

(obsolete) A hostile encounter or meeting.

* See also

(abas)

(archaic) To lower physically or depress; to stoop; to throw or cast down; as, to abase the eye.

"Saying so, he abased his lance''." - ''

To lower, as in rank, office, condition in life, so as to hurt feelings or cause pain; to depress; to humiliate; to humble; to degrade.

"Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased'' ." - ''Luke 14:11

(obsolete) To lower in value, in particular as altering the content of alloys in coins.

* debase * degrade

* promote * exalt * extoll

* abasedly * abasement * abaser

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