onslaught

[ on-slawt, awn- ]
/ ˈɒnˌslɔt, ˈɔn- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR onslaught ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an onset, assault, or attack, especially a vigorous one.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THESE WORDS FROM BROWN GIRL DREAMING!

Visualize yourself passing this quiz on words from Jacqueline Woodson’s exquisite verse novel “Brown Girl Dreaming,” and then take the quiz to prove you can do it! (Because you can.)
Question 1 of 10
What does “barren” mean?
a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.
unproductive; unfruitful
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of onslaught

1615–25; <Dutch aanslag a striking, (earlier) attack (equivalent to aanon + slag blow, stroke; akin to slay), with assimilation to obsolete slaughtslaughter

Words nearby onslaught

onshoring, onside, onside kick, on sight, on-site, onslaught, Onslow, on someone's, on someone's back, on someone's coattails, on someone's nerves
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to onslaught

offensive, blitz, onset, assault, invasion, incursion, aggression, offense, charge, onrush, assailment

Example sentences from the Web for onslaught

British Dictionary definitions for onslaught

onslaught
/ (ˈɒnˌslɔːt) /

noun

a violent attack

Word Origin for onslaught

C17: from Middle Dutch aenslag, from aan on + slag a blow, related to slay
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