effrontery
noun
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To the Romans, the shameless were "without forehead," at least figuratively. Effrontery derives from Latin effrons, a word that combines the prefix ex- (meaning "out" or "without") and frons (meaning "forehead" or "brow"). The Romans never used effrons literally to mean "without forehead," and theorists aren't in full agreement about the connection between the modern meaning of effrontery and the literal senses of its roots. Some explain that frons can also refer to the capacity for blushing, so a person without frons would be "unblushing" or "shameless." Others theorize that since the Romans believed that the brow was the seat of a person's modesty, being without a brow meant being "immodest" or, again, "shameless."
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Examples of effrontery in a Sentence
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
Wu, notably, is framed as the instigator in the relationship; Cheung has a few priceless reaction shots, as Lam can’t believe—or, ultimately, resist—his student’s seductive effrontery.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 July 2024
Blocking the medical board from physician regulation is the worst effrontery to medical professionalism, puts the public at unacceptable risk, and might be a place for bad physician actors to be shrouded and protected.
—Joel B. Zivot, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024
These companies apparently have the effrontery to resist the attempts to reduce their access to capital being organized, primarily, by a largely unaccountable cabal of activists, financial institutions, and state pension funds.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Effrontery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effrontery. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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effrontery
noun
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