confront

动词，表示让人或问题来到面前并正面应对，常指面对困难、质问某人或与对手对抗。

💡 记忆钩子

把人或问题推到自己面前，谁也躲不开：面对敌对的人是正面对抗，面对问题是着手处理，让某人面对事实则是当面质问；在比赛中，双方来到彼此面前就是交锋，正式语境中还可把事物并排放在面前比较或对照。

📝 学习建议

建议先掌握“处理问题”和“当面质问某人”这两个日常核心用法，再理解“对抗”和比赛中的“交锋”。
不要把 confront 一律理解成中文“面对”的中性说法；它常带有必须正面处理、甚至发生冲突的意味。

📖 中文释义

verb

core 正面对抗

📖 指与某人迎面相对，尤其是在敌意、争执或挑战的情况下进行对抗；重点是双方都被置于正面冲突中。

💡 常用“confront someone”表示正面对抗某人，也可接警察、军队等群体作宾语。它通常暗示紧张或敌对，不适合描述普通的偶然见面。需要表达缓和冲突时，常在上下文中说明双方如何避免或降低对抗。

transitive

The protesters confronted the police outside the building.

抗议者在大楼外与警察正面对抗。
core 处理问题

📖 指不再回避某个问题、困难或不愉快的事实，而是主动把它拿出来处理；这里不一定有人与人之间的冲突。

💡 常用“confront a problem / difficulty / fact”这一类搭配。它比一般的“处理”更强调勇于面对和采取行动，常用于建议、分析或严肃讨论。不要把它误解成只表示“发现”或“碰巧遇到”。

transitive

The committee must confront the budget problem before making a decision.

委员会在作出决定前必须处理预算问题。
core 让某人面对事实

📖 指把某件事摆到某人面前，迫使或要求对方正视它，常常包含当面质问的意思。

💡 表示“因某事质问某人”时，使用“confront someone about something”或“confront someone over something”。宾语通常是被质问的人，而具体问题放在 about 或 over 后面。这个结构不等于礼貌地向某人询问，往往暗示不满、怀疑或要求解释。

transitive

She confronted her roommate about the unpaid rent.

她就未付的房租当面质问室友。
common 迎战；交锋

📖 指在比赛、竞争或冲突中遇到并迎战对手；双方像来到彼此面前一样展开较量。

💡 体育报道中常用“confront an opponent”或“confront each other”，尤其适合描述比赛中的对阵。它比普通的“play”或“meet”更强调对手之间的较量。日常谈论普通见面时不要使用这个词。

transitive

The two teams will confront each other in the final.

两队将在决赛中交锋。
rare 发生对抗

📖 指双方彼此对峙、展开冲突，是“正面对抗”这一核心意思的不及物用法。

intransitive
rare 并列比较

📖 指把两个事物并排放在一起比较，让它们在同一面前相互参照；这是“把事物置于面前”的正式用法。

transitive
rare 对照；形成反差

📖 指把一个事物置于另一个事物面前加以对照，突出二者的差异或反差。

transitive

confronts present,singular,third-person confronting participle,present confronted participle,past confronted past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 4 组

deal with (something unpleasant) head on;

同义词集: confront face up face

You must confront your problems

He faced the terrible consequences of his mistakes

反义: avoid 上位: approach, go about, set about 下位: tackle, take on, undertake

present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize; ;

同义词集: confront face present

We confronted him with the evidence

He was faced with all the evidence and could no longer deny his actions

An enormous dilemma faces us

oppose, as in hostility or a competition; ;

同义词集: confront face

You must confront your opponent

Jackson faced Smith in the boxing ring

The two enemies finally confronted each other

上位: encounter, meet, play, take on 下位: breast, front, match, oppose, pit, play off

be face to face with

同义词集: confront

The child screamed when he confronted the man in the Halloween costume

上位: face, front, look

🌳 词源

源自中古法语，最终来自含有“前额、正面”意义的词根，核心意象是面对面。

From Middle French confronter, borrowed from Medieval Latin cōnfrontāre, from con- + frontem (“front, forehead”).

🔄 变式

confronted past confronting present confronts present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根