assault
Americannoun
-
assaults
plural
-
a sudden, violent attack; onslaught.
an assault on tradition.
- Synonyms:
- aggression, invasion, charge, onset
-
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.
-
Military. the stage of close combat in an attack.
-
rape.
verb (used with object)
-
assaults,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assaulted,
past participle, past
-
assaulting
present participle
noun
-
a violent attack, either physical or verbal
-
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
-
-
the culmination of a military attack, in which fighting takes place at close quarters
-
( as modifier )
assault troops
-
-
rape or attempted rape
verb
-
to make an assault upon
-
to rape or attempt to rape
Synonym Usage
See attack.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
assaulternoun
-
nonassaultnoun
-
counterassaultverb (used with object)
-
assaultableadjective
-
assaultiveadjective
-
unassaultableadjective
-
unassaultedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
assaultsimple
-
assaultssimple
-
have assaultedperfect
-
has assaultedperfect
-
am assaultingprogressive
-
are assaultingprogressive
-
is assaultingprogressive
-
have been assaultingperfect progressive
-
has been assaultingperfect progressive
Past
-
assaultedsimple
-
had assaultedperfect
-
was assaultingprogressive
-
were assaultingprogressive
-
had been assaultingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
The findings suggest that surviving an initial assault may leave a lasting biological legacy.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
It is understood she is the favourite to replace Thomas, who quit following an arrest on suspicion of assault, and that "very senior" Reform figures had backed her.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Swift countersued for sexual assault and battery, asking for $1 in damages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Cleveland Police said Gye Worthy has been charged with common assault and obstructing police and is due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court in October.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Although the United States was still officially neutral, it was lending aid to Britain, then under Nazi assault by air and sea.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Since then, Colombia has stepped up air assaults and authorized joint military operations with the United States.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
On Instagram, Sakhi posted photos and videos of police assaults and detentions alongside reels mocking officers standing beside them.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Homeland Security has previously told news outlets it does not have a “domestic terrorist” database, but said it monitors incidents of “threats, assaults and obstruction” of its officers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
This year, despite the attacks, he expects an even bigger turnout as the population brushes off Russia’s unyielding assaults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
We proceeded along the street, marching warily to avoid the assaults of guile unmoved by the fear of bombardment; the shops and warehouses to either side of us were evidently deserted.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected for a second time President Donald Trump's attempt to overturn a jury judgment that he sexually assaulted and defamed writer E Jean Carroll.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
But it relies on the mother being willing to file a report that she has been assaulted - because this kick starts the registration process.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Hearing Platner deny that he assaulted Fifield, and seeing so many rally behind him and against her, was too much.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Christian Bojorquez argued in his closing statements to the jury that Officer William Jones believed that he was confronting a man with a gun who had already assaulted several people inside the store.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
As soon as we hit the Bronx bricks, our senses were assaulted.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Robinson has served jail time in the U.K. on charges including assaulting an off-duty police officer, using a false passport to enter the U.S. and mortgage fraud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Under Essayli, federal prosecutors in L.A. have aggressively charged protesters with assaulting and impeding the actions of immigration agents, filing more than 100 cases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Also on Thursday, 50-year-old Matt Styler, of Gosport, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused President Trump of sexually assaulting her 30 years ago, people familiar with the probe said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
His family watched him leave, then fanning out in well-drilled squads they set about assaulting the long-standing dust from the recesses and corners of the massive house.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
