assault

[ uh-sawlt ]

noun

1. a sudden, violent attack; onslaught:

   an assault on tradition.

   Synonyms: aggression, invasion, charge, onset

2. 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.
3. Military. the stage of close combat in an attack.
4. rape ¹.

verb (used with object)

1. to make an assault upon; attack; assail.

assault

/ əˈsɔːlt /

noun

1. a violent attack, either physical or verbal
2. 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
3. 1. the culmination of a military attack, in which fighting takes place at close quarters
   2. ( as modifier )

      assault troops

4. rape or attempted rape

verb

1. to make an assault upon
2. to rape or attempt to rape

Derived Forms

• asˈsaultive, adjective
• asˈsaulter, noun

Other Words From

• as·saulta·ble adjective
• as·saulter noun
• counter·as·sault verb (used with object) noun
• nonas·sault noun
• unas·saulta·ble adjective
• unas·saulted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of assault¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of assault¹

C13: from Old French asaut, from Vulgar Latin assaltus (unattested), from assalīre (unattested) to leap upon; see assail

Synonym Study

See attack.

Example Sentences

It was then donated to Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade - a unit which helped lead the Kursk offensive as Ukrainian troops pushed into Russian territory.

From BBC

Sixteen months later he was fighting with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade near the small town of Klishchiivka, in eastern Ukraine, when an explosion mangled his right leg just below the hip.

From Los Angeles Times

“Assault weapons are dangerous already,” Nick Suplina, the senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, said in an email.

From New York Times

For months, his drone teams, part of the 92nd Assault Brigade, have been filling a gap for other units of the army that have struggled with a shortage of troops and ammunition.

From New York Times

Just before Russian troops pushed across the Ukrainian northern border this month, members of Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade lost a vital resource.

From New York Times

Related Words

• abuse
• invade
• rape
• shoot down
• violate