1. [n]  a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of an affront; "turning his back on me was a deliberate insult"
2. [v]  treat, mention, or speak to rudely; "He insulted her with his rude remarks"

AFFRONT is a 7 letter word that starts with A.

1. \Af*front"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Affronted}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Affronting}.] [OF. afronter, F. affronter, to
   confront, LL. affrontare to strike against, fr. L. ad + frons
   forehead, front. See {Front}.]
   1. To front; to face in position; to meet or encounter face
      to face. [Obs.]
            All the sea-coasts do affront the Levant. --Holland.
            That he, as 't were by accident, may here Affront
            Ophelia.                              --Shak.
   2. To face in defiance; to confront; as, to affront death;
      hence, to meet in hostile encounter. [Archaic]
   3. To offend by some manifestation of disrespect; to insult
      to the face by demeanor or language; to treat with marked
      incivility.
            How can any one imagine that the fathers would have
            dared to affront the wife of Aurelius? --Addison.
   Syn: To insult; abuse; outrage; wound; illtreat; slight;
        defy; offend; provoke; pique; nettle.
   

2. \Af*front"\, n. [Cf. F. affront, fr. affronter.]
   1. An encounter either friendly or hostile. [Obs.]
            I walked about, admired of all, and dreaded On
            hostile ground, none daring my affront. --Milton.
   2. Contemptuous or rude treatment which excites or justifies
      resentment; marked disrespect; a purposed indignity;
      insult.
            Offering an affront to our understanding. --Addison.
   3. An offense to one's self-respect; shame. --Arbuthnot.
   Syn: {Affront}, {Insult}, {Outrage}.
   Usage: An affront is a designed mark of disrespect, usually
          in the presence of others. An insult is a personal
          attack either by words or actions, designed to
          humiliate or degrade. An outrage is an act of extreme
          and violent insult or abuse. An affront piques and
          mortifies; an insult irritates and provokes; an
          outrage wounds and injures.
                Captious persons construe every innocent freedom
                into an affront. When people are in a state of
                animosity, they seek opportunities of offering
                each other insults. Intoxication or violent
                passion impels men to the commission of
                outrages.                         --Crabb.