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Spite vs Affront - What's the difference?

spite | affront |

As nouns the difference between spite and affront

is that spite is ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor while affront is .

As a verb spite

is to treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.

As a preposition spite

is notwithstanding; despite.

spite

English

Etymology 1

From a shortening of (etyl) despit, from (etyl) despit (whence despite). Compare also Dutch spijt.

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor.
    • He was so filled with spite for his ex-wife, he could not hold down a job.
    They did it just for spite .
  • * Shakespeare
    • This is the deadly spite that angers.
  • (obsolete) Vexation; chagrin; mortification.
    • "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite." Shakespeare, Hamlet

    Verb

    (spit)
  • To treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.
    • She soon married again, to spite her ex-husband.
  • (obsolete) To be angry at; to hate.
    • The Danes, then pagans, spited places of religion. — Fuller.
  • To fill with spite; to offend; to vex.
    • Darius, spited at the Magi, endeavoured to abolish not only their learning, but their language. — Sir. W. Temple.
    Related terms
    * spiteful * in spite of * despite

    See also

    * malignant * malicious

    Etymology 2

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Notwithstanding; despite.

    • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    affront

    English

    (wikipedia affront)

    Verb

    (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.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.
    • Such behavior is an affront to society.
  • (obsolete) A hostile encounter or meeting.

    • Synonyms

    * See also