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Synonyms

assailant

American  
[uh-sey-luhnt] / əˈseɪ lənt /

noun

  1. a person who attacks.

adjective

  1. Archaic. assailing; attacking; hostile.

assailant British  
/ əˈseɪlənt /

noun

  1. a person who attacks another, either physically or verbally

    he was unable to recognize his assailants
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of assailant

From the Middle French word assaillant, dating back to 1525–35. See assail, -ant

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.

She said the assailant had a local accent, with a trace of another, and a shiny hairless chest.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The assailant, identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, had the sort of online posting history that you would expect and had told a neighbor that he might be arrested at an upcoming Omar event.

From Slate • Jan. 31, 2026

A police captain, knowing Pratt painted and drew as a hobby, asked if he’d go interview a survivor of one of these attacks in the hospital and sketch the assailant, based on the woman’s description.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Since the shooting, Albanese is leading a state-federal push for stricter gun control, after the older assailant was found to have six licensed guns.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

Anyone who is familiar with cats knows that they do not care for a determined assailant.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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.