assault
Americannoun
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a sudden, violent attack; onslaught.
an assault on tradition.
- Synonyms:
- aggression, invasion, charge, onset
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Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner.
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Military. the stage of close combat in an attack.
-
rape.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a violent attack, either physical or verbal
-
law an intentional or reckless act that causes another person to expect to be subjected to immediate and unlawful violence Compare battery assault and battery
-
-
the culmination of a military attack, in which fighting takes place at close quarters
-
( as modifier )
assault troops
-
-
rape or attempted rape
verb
-
to make an assault upon
-
to rape or attempt to rape
Synonym Usage
See attack.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
counterassaultverb (used with object)
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unassaultedadjective
-
nonassaultnoun
-
assaulternoun
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unassaultableadjective
-
assaultableadjective
-
assaultiveadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has assaultedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have assaultedperfect
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is assaultingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been assaultingperfect progressive
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has been assaultingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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assaultingparticiple
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am assaultingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are assaultingprogressive
-
assaultssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had assaultedperfect
-
had been assaultingperfect progressive
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were assaultingprogressive plural
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was assaultingprogressive singular
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assaultedparticiple
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assaultedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of assault
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English asaut, from Old French, from Medieval Latin assaltus “attacked,” past participle of assalīre “to attack, jump on,” replacing Latin assilīre, both ultimately from Latin as- as- + salīre “to jump, leap”
Explanation
An assault is an attack. Getting punched, yelled at, or bombed are all types of assault. To assault is to attack or bombard someone in some way. Fighter planes can make an aerial assault, while ground troops make a ground assault. Verbal assault consists of insults, swearing, or threats. A strong criticism, like a negative review in the newspaper, is a written assault. Physical assault can range from getting pushed to getting shot. You could even say "That music is so loud it's assaulting my ear drums!"
Vocabulary lists containing assault
Hoot
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Nothing But the Truth
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Code Talker
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He served as a rifleman, mortarman and machine gunner and his most recent appointment was as a Section Second in Command within the Assault Pioneer Platoon.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Assault charges against the man, Carlitos Ricardo Parias, were recently dismissed by a judge.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has its own laboratory where it puts together drones from imported components and 3D-printed parts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
Following a review of surveillance video from Target, detectives from the sheriff’s Sexual Assault Unit identified Crawford as the suspect and obtained a search warrant for his cellphone.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025
He still has a happy glow from Beetee’s success on the Airtime Assault.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
