assault

1 of 2

noun

as·​sault ə-ˈsȯlt 

1

a

: a violent physical or verbal attack

b

: a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces

an assault on the enemy's air base

c

: a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary)

an assault on drug trafficking

2

law

a

: a threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily harm on a person (as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner) that puts the person in immediate danger of or in apprehension (see apprehension sense 1) of such harm or contact compare battery sense 1b

b

: rape entry 1 sense 1

assault

2 of 2

verb

assaulted; assaulting; assaults

transitive verb

1

: to make an assault on : to attack violently

assaulted a police officer

2

: rape sense 1

The victim was sexually assaulted.

intransitive verb

: to make an assault

assaulter noun

Synonyms

Noun

• rape
• ravishment
• sexual assault
• violation

Verb

• force
• rape
• ravish
• violate

Choose the Right Synonym for assault

attack, assail, assault, bombard, storm mean to make an onslaught upon.

attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

Examples of assault in a Sentence

Noun

She was injured in a brutal assault.

attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault

Verb

He was arrested for assaulting a police officer.

She verbally assaulted one of her coworkers.

Enemy forces assaulted the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector. —Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023

Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east. —Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023

Verb

China’s latest war games around the island, carried out last week, included simulating blockading key ports and areas, and assaulting maritime and ground targets, Beijing said. —Reuters, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024

When the officers arrived and spoke to the trespassing suspect, who is white, the man told them he had just been assaulted, and pointed to McAlpin across the street. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English assaut, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *assaltus, from assalire — see assail

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing assault

• aggravated assault
• assault and battery
• assault boat
• assault course
• assault rifle
• assault weapon
• counter-assault
• indecent assault
• sexual assault
• under assault

Kids Definition

assault

noun

as·​sault

ə-ˈsȯlt

1

: a violent or sudden attack

2

: an unlawful attempt or threat to do harm to another

assault verb

Etymology

Noun

Middle English assaut "assault," from early French assaut (same meaning), derived from Latin assilire, adsilire "to leap upon," from as-, ad- "to, toward" and salire "to leap, spring" — related to insult, resilient

Legal Definition

assault

1 of 2 noun

as·​sault ə-ˈsȯlt 

1

: the crime or tort of threatening or attempting to inflict immediate offensive physical contact or bodily harm that one has the present ability to inflict and that puts the victim in fear of such harm or contact compare battery

2

: the crime of assault accompanied by battery

specifically : sexual assault in this entry

called also assault and battery

— aggravated assault

: a criminal assault accompanied by aggravating factors: as

a : a criminal assault that is committed with an intent to cause or that causes serious bodily injury especially through the use of a dangerous weapon

b : a criminal assault accompanied by the intent to commit or the commission of a felony (as rape) compare simple assault in this entry

— assault with intent

: a criminal assault committed with the intent to commit another specified crime

assault with intent to rob

assault with intent to kill

— civil assault

: an assault considered as a tort rather than as a crime compare criminal assault in this entry

— criminal assault

: an assault considered as a crime rather than as a tort compare civil assault in this entry

Note: An assault may be both a criminal assault and a civil assault.

— felonious assault

: a criminal assault that is classified as a felony and involves the infliction of serious bodily injury by the use of a dangerous weapon

— indecent assault

: intentional offensive sexual contact that does not amount to sexual intercourse or involve penetration and that is committed without consent of the victim and without the intent to commit rape

— sexual assault

: sexual contact usually that is forced upon a person without consent or inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (as a doctor) in a position of trust see also rape

Note: Sexual assault in its most serious forms (often classified as first degree sexual assault) involves nonconsensual sexual penetration. In its less serious forms it may be the equivalent of statutory rape.

— simple assault

: a criminal assault that is not accompanied by any aggravating factors (as infliction of serious injury or use of a dangerous weapon) compare aggravated assault in this entry

Note: Simple assault is usually classified as a misdemeanor.

assault

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to make an assault on

specifically : to subject to a sexual assault

intransitive verb

: to make an assault

assaulter noun

assaultive

ə-ˈsȯl-tiv 

adjective

assaultively adverb

assaultiveness noun

Etymology

Noun

Old French assaut, literally, attack, ultimately from Latin assultus, from assilire to leap (on), attack