assailant

[ uh-sey-luhnt ]

noun

1. a person who attacks.

adjective

1. Archaic. assailing; attacking; hostile.

assailant

/ əˈseɪlənt /

noun

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

   he was unable to recognize his assailants

Word History and Origins

Origin of assailant¹

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

Example Sentences

The assailant, a 34-year-old male with a history of mental illness, later testified to police that he had stabbed the woman — whom he did not know — because he had been shunned by women in the past.

From Los Angeles Times

I can't agree to disagree with a side that's fine with a sexual assailant in the Oval Office.

From Salon

But with Trump, it makes a sick sort of sense, beyond even his history as a serial sexual assailant.

From Salon

The victim’s screams ultimately saved him, as a bystander stepped in, subdued the attacker and held him at bay for the remaining three hours until the assailant was arrested upon landing, the agent alleged.

From Los Angeles Times

The GOP nominated a candidate who ushered in abortion bans and is, by his own account and in a court of law, a sexual assailant.

From Salon

Related Words

• aggressor
• mugger