effrontery: [18] The notion of ‘audacity’ or ‘impudence’ is often expressed in terms of ‘exposing or pushing forward the face’: a ‘barefaced lie’ or ‘putting on a bold front’, for instance. And effrontery is no exception. It comes ultimately from late Latin effrōns ‘barefaced, shameless’, a compound adjective formed from the prefix ex- ‘out of’ and frōns ‘forehead’ (source of English front).
This seems subsequently to have been reformulated along the lines of its original components, giving Vulgar Latin *exfrontātus, source of Old French esfronte. This in turn developed to French effronté, whose derived noun effronterie was acquired by English as effrontery. => front
effrontery (n.)
"shamelessness, impudence, boldness in transgressing the bounds of modesty and propriety," 1715, from French effronterie, from effronté "shameless," from Old French esfronte "shameless, brazen," probably from Late Latin effrontem (nominative effrons) "barefaced, shameless," from Latin ex- "out" (see ex-) + frontem (nominative frons) "brow" (see front (n.)). Also compare affront.
Latin frontus had a sense of "ability to blush," but the literal sense of effrontery often has been taken to be "putting forth the forehead." Forehead in Johnson's Dictionary (1755) has a secondary sense of "impudence; confidence; assurance; audaciousness; audacity." English had an earlier verb effront "treat with effrontery" (17c.).
实用例句
1. He had the effrontery to say I was lying.
他竟敢说我撒谎.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. This is a despicable fraud . Just imagine that he has the effrontery to say it.
这是一个可耻的骗局. 他竟然有脸说这样的话.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. One could only gasp at the sheer effrontery of the man.
那人十足的厚颜无耻让人们吃惊得无话可说。
来自辞典例句
4. He was so amazed at their effrontery that he stutters in confusion.
他对他们的粗暴无礼感到非常吃惊,竟然结结巴巴,不知所措.
来自辞典例句
5. In the Imperial Japanese Fleet it was suicidal effrontery.
