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.
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rape.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a violent attack, either physical or verbal
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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
-
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the culmination of a military attack, in which fighting takes place at close quarters
-
( as modifier )
assault troops
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rape or attempted rape
verb
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to make an assault upon
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to rape or attempt to rape
Related Words
See attack.
Other Word Forms
- assaultable adjective
- assaulter noun
- assaultive adjective
- counterassault verb (used with object)
- nonassault noun
- unassaultable adjective
- unassaulted adjective
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”
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 opening assault, which if authorized could come within days, would target a few military or government sites, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The barb was part of a full-on assault on the state’s monied class, which includes Steyer, who made his fortune as a hedge fund manager.
From Los Angeles Times
And when she welcomed past “Top Model” contenders to “The Tyra Banks Show,” including Sullivan, she replayed footage of her assault on air despite Sullivan expressly asking her not to.
From Salon
He reached his fifty off 36 balls before launching a late assault, hitting four sixes and 10 fours in all.
From Barron's
Some U.S. officials and analysts have warned that such an assault would encourage an Iranian retaliation, possibly drawing the U.S. into a broader war in the Middle East.
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.
