Word
confront
Phoneticscon·front
US/kənˈfɹənt/
UK/kənfɹˈʌnt/
Definitions
01to face a person directly
v. to meet someone face to face to talk about a problem or a disagreement.
v. to face someone in a direct or hostile manner, typically to challenge them or address a grievance.
“She decided to confront her manager about the unfair work schedule.”
“The protesters gathered outside the embassy to confront the ambassador regarding the recent changes in diplomatic policy.”
Usage
This verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the person being faced.
02to deal with a problem
v. to deal with a difficult situation or a problem instead of ignoring it.
v. to acknowledge and deal with a difficult situation, fact, or problem.
“We need to confront the fact that our current plan is not working.”
“The administration must confront the systemic issues within the healthcare department before the crisis worsens further.”
Usage
Often used with abstract nouns like 'reality', 'truth', or 'problem'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to present evidence
v. to show someone evidence or a problem so they have to deal with it.
v. to bring someone face to face with evidence, a crime, or a difficult truth.
“The police confronted the suspect with the video evidence from the shop.”
“During the cross-examination, the lawyer confronted the witness with a series of contradictory statements from his previous deposition.”
Formal
Usage
Commonly follows the pattern 'confront someone with something'.
Real-World Examples
“The recall reclassification comes as the Trump administration confronts a string of health crises involving food safety in the US.” “As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they're getting dangerously hot.” Etymology
From Middle French confronter, borrowed from Medieval Latin cōnfrontāre, from con- + frontem (“front, forehead”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Idioms
confront one's demons — To work through past experiences that have left emotional scars.