onslaught
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of onslaught
1615–25; < Dutch aanslag a striking, (earlier) attack (equivalent to aan on + slag blow, stroke; akin to slay ), with assimilation to obsolete slaught slaughter
Explanation
Onslaught is a military term that refers to an attack against an enemy. It's safe to say that no one wants to be caught on the receiving end of an onslaught, because there will be lots of danger, destruction and probably death. One way to help you remember the brutal meaning of onslaught is through the word's English origin, slaught, meaning "slaughter." But onslaught can be used in non-military ways, too. It can mean a barrage of written or spoken communication, like an onslaught of emailed birthday wishes. Taken individually, the birthday wishes are nice but an onslaught is too many, too fast, all at once. Onslaught can also mean a sudden and severe start of trouble. For example, if your office is unprepared for the onslaught of flu season, the entire sales force will be home sick at the same time.
Vocabulary lists containing onslaught
Words from "The Avengers"
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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"The Diary of Anne Frank," Vocabulary from the drama
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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.
The updated headline online was much more appropriate, relative to the actual debate: "Warren Leads an Onslaught of Attacks, Zeroing In on Bloomberg."
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2020
Some 280 FBI agents were called in from the field this summer for "Operation Onslaught," as the project was called.
From Time Magazine Archive
Onslaught signifies intensely violent assault, as by an army or a desperado, tho it is sometimes used of violent speech.
From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin
In the Onslaught Sub-Lieutenant Harry W. A. Kemmis, assisted by Midshipman Reginald G. Arnot, R.N.R., the only executive officers not disabled, brought the ship successfully out of action and reached her home port.
From World's War Events, Vol. II by Reynolds, Francis J. (Francis Joseph)
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.
