confront
kuhn-FRUHNT
Confront (verb) means to face someone directly, often to challenge or accuse them. Example: “I need to confront my friend about the money he borrowed.”
verb
1
To face someone directly, often to challenge or accuse them.
"I need to confront my friend about the money he borrowed."
"She decided to confront her landlord about the broken heating."
"He was confronted by an angry crowd outside the courthouse."
2
To face up to a difficult problem or situation instead of avoiding it.
"You cannot keep avoiding your debts, so you must confront them soon."
"Many people find it hard to confront their fear of public speaking."
"The company finally had to confront its declining sales."
How to use confront
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo face someone or something head-on, especially something unpleasant.
Common pairings
confront the issue
confront someone about
confront reality
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- confronts
- Past tense
- confronted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
I need to _____ my friend about the money he borrowed.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin confrontare, from con- ("together") + frontem ("forehead, front") — literally "to stand front-to-front with".
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “confront” mean?
The word “confront” means to face someone directly, often to challenge or accuse them. In plain terms, to face someone or something head-on, especially something unpleasant.
How do you pronounce “confront”?
“Confront” is pronounced kuhn-FRUHNT (/kənˈfɹʌnt/ in IPA).
How do you use “confront” in a sentence?
Here is “confront” used in a sentence: “She decided to confront her landlord about the broken heating.”
What part of speech is “confront”?
“Confront” is a verb.
Where does the word “confront” come from?
The word “confront” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin confrontare, from con- ("together") + frontem ("forehead, front") — literally "to stand front-to-front with".
Is “confront” a common word?
“Confront” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “confront” have?
“Confront” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to face someone directly, often to challenge or accuse them.
What is the difference between confront and face?
Confront often implies a direct, sometimes challenging or accusatory encounter with a person, while face is a broader, more neutral word for dealing with a person or situation. Confront carries a stronger sense of tension or opposition than face does.
What is the difference between confront and confrontation?
Confront is a verb describing the action of facing someone or something directly, while confrontation is the noun for the tense clash or standoff that results. You confront a problem, and the resulting clash can be called a confrontation.
Can confront be used for problems as well as people?
Yes, confront can mean facing up to a difficult problem or situation instead of avoiding it, not just facing another person directly to challenge or accuse them. Both uses share the core idea of meeting something head-on rather than sidestepping it.
