Word
confront
Meanings
to face someone directly and challenge them about something
to deal with a difficult situation or problem in a direct way
to be faced with a difficult fact or situation that must be addressed
Definition
To confront someone is to face them directly, especially about a problem or disagreement.
To confront means to deal with a difficult person, issue, or situation in a direct and determined way. It often involves speaking openly about something uncomfortable, such as a conflict, mistake, or accusation. It can also mean to face a challenge rather than avoid it.
Examples
- I decided to confront my supervisor about the unrealistic deadline instead of quietly resenting it.
- You should confront the issue early, before small misunderstandings harden into lasting conflict.
- He finally confronted his colleague after weeks of tense silence in the project meetings.
- She confronted the rumors calmly and asked for specific evidence rather than vague accusations.
- They confronted the logistical problems head-on and redesigned the schedule within a day.
Common mistake
Learners often misuse the preposition and say "confront with" when the natural pattern is "confront someone about" or "confront someone with" (evidence).
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.