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Affront vs Insult vs Indignity

Affront, Insult and Indignity denote a speech or an action having for its intention or effect the dishonoring of something (as a person, a cause, or an institution).

An affront is a designed and usually an open mark of disrespect.

  • an affront to the flag
  • an old affront will stir the heart through years of rankling pain
    Ingelow

An insult is a personal attack, either by words or actions, meant to humiliate or degrade.

  • it is incredible the insult made to the liberty, to the life, to the dignity of the human beings, by other human beings
    Vanzetti

An indignity is an outrage upon one’s personal dignity.

  • whom I beseech to give me ample satisfaction for these deep shames and great indignities
    Shak.
  • to nearly all men serfdom was . . . a degrading thing, and they found trenchant phrases to describe the indignity of the condition
    Southern