Confront
/kənˈfrʌnt/
verbB2
Definition
Confront means to meet or face something or someone in a direct way, often when there is a challenge or conflict. It usually involves dealing with a problem or a person openly instead of avoiding it. People confront situations when they want to solve an issue or express their feelings clearly.
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⚡ See It in Action
To face a person or group, often to discuss a problem or conflict
- •She decided to confront her friend about the missing money.
- •The teacher confronted the student about cheating on the test.
- •He confronted his boss to explain why he was late.
To deal with a difficult situation or problem directly
- •The company must confront the issue of pollution.
- •We need to confront our fears to grow stronger.
- •The government confronted the crisis with new policies.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "confront" like "face" (A1 word), but more active and often with difficulty or conflict involved
- ✓Picture two people standing close, looking straight at each other, ready to talk about a problem
- ✓It's the feeling when you decide not to run away from a difficult talk but to face it bravely
- ✓Sounds like "con-FRONT" → imagine two fronts (like two armies) meeting face to face in a strong way
- ✓Remember stories where heroes confront villains to solve a big problem or clear up a misunderstanding
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (avoiding a problem), "confront" means to meet it directly
- ✓NOT like "ask" (simple question), "confront" often has a serious or challenging meaning
- ✓NOT like "fight" (physical action), "confront" can be with words or attitude, not always violence
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Face: to look at or deal with something directly (Use when the situation is less serious or challenging)
- •Address: to speak to or deal with a problem or person (Use when focusing on solving a problem rather than the challenge)
- •Challenge: to question or oppose something (Use when you actively question or oppose someone or something)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix: "con-" means "together" or "with"
- •Root: "front" means "the front part" or "face"
- •Etymology: From Latin "confrontare" meaning "to bring face to face"
- •Historical development: Originally meaning to stand face to face, especially in battle or argument; now used for facing problems or people directly
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for facing problems, conflicts, or people honestly and directly, often with courage
💭 Reflect & Connect
•When is it better to confront a problem directly, and when might it be better to wait or avoid it?
•How does confronting someone change a relationship compared to avoiding the issue?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.She decided to confront her colleague because she could no longer ___ the repeated mistakes.
2.When you confront a problem, you usually try to ___ it instead of ignoring it.
3.Unlike avoiding, to confront someone means to face them ___ and honestly.
4.The manager confronted the team about the missed deadline to ___ what went wrong.
5.People often feel nervous before they confront someone because they expect ___ or disagreement.
6.You can confront a situation by talking about it, but you do not always have to ___ physically.
7.When a country confronts a crisis, it takes action to ___ the problem quickly.