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
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( 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
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.
Federal prosecutors initially filed assault charges against Sosa-Celis and another man, Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna, but later dropped them.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Women often do not immediately report allegations of rape and sexual assault, she said, "because of the sense of shame that you have, that somehow it's your fault".
From BBC • May 18, 2026
In the immediate aftermath of the assault, some initial accounts of terrible violence shared by Israeli officials turned out to be false.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
But Ukraine has adapted by using drones and artillery to pick off such assault units, and by seeking out Russian squads that manage to get through.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Andrew Jackson was not a man who backed down from the assault on slavery.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
