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Definition of confront verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

confront

verb
 
/kənˈfrʌnt/
 
/kənˈfrʌnt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they confront
 
/kənˈfrʌnt/
 
/kənˈfrʌnt/
he / she / it confronts
 
/kənˈfrʌnts/
 
/kənˈfrʌnts/
past simple confronted
 
/kənˈfrʌntɪd/
 
/kənˈfrʌntɪd/
past participle confronted
 
/kənˈfrʌntɪd/
 
/kənˈfrʌntɪd/
-ing form confronting
 
/kənˈfrʌntɪŋ/
 
/kənˈfrʌntɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. confront somebody/something (of problems or a difficult situation) to appear and need to be dealt with by somebody
    • What is to be done about the economic problems confronting the country?
    • I was suddenly confronted by the task of rewriting the entire book.
    • The government found itself confronted by massive opposition.
  2. confront something to deal with a problem or difficult situation synonym face up to
    • She knew that she had to confront her fears.
    Extra Examples
    • The new state confronted head-on the question of national identity.
    • He is willing to confront problems directly.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • directly
    • head-on
    • squarely
    phrases
    • be confronted with something
    • find yourself confronted by something
    See full entry
  3. confront somebody to face somebody so that they cannot avoid seeing and hearing you, especially in an unfriendly or dangerous situation
    • This was the first time he had confronted an armed robber.
    • Confronted by an angry crowd, the police retreated.
    • The demonstrators found themselves confronted by a line of police, blocking the road.
  4. confront somebody with somebody/something to make somebody face or deal with an unpleasant or difficult person or situation
    • He confronted her with a choice between her career or their relationship.
    • These texts constantly confront the reader with their demanding claims.
  5. be confronted by/with something
    to have something in front of you that you have to deal with or react to
    • Most people when confronted with a horse will pat it.
  6. Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French confronter, from medieval Latin confrontare, from Latin con- ‘with’ + frons, front- ‘face’.
See confront in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee confront in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
aspiration
noun
 
 
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