Adjacent Words

Assail definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ASSA'IL, v.t. [L. assilio, to leap or rush upon, of ad and salio, to leap, to rise.]
1. To leap or fall upon by violence; to assault; to attack suddenly, as when one person falls upon another to beat him.
2. To invade or attack, in a hostile manner, as an army, or nation.
3. To attack with arguments, censure,abuse, or criticism, with a view to injure, bring into disrepute, or overthrow.
4. To attack, with a view to overcome, by motives applied to the passions.
Nor hide the encounter of assailing eyes.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly" [syn: assail, assault, set on, attack]
2: launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week" [syn: attack, assail] [ant: defend]
3: attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" [syn: attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French assaillir, from Vulgar Latin *assalire, alteration of Latin assilire to leap upon, from ad- + salire to leap — more at sally Date: 13th century to attack violently with blows or words Synonyms: see attack • assailable adjective • assailant noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 make a strong or concerted attack on. 2 make a resolute start on (a task). 3 make a strong or constant verbal attack on (was assailed with angry questions). Derivatives: assailable adj. Etymology: ME f. OF asaill- stressed stem of asalir f. med.L assalire f. L assilire (as AD-, salire salt- leap)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Assail As*sail" ([a^]s*s[=a]l"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assailed (-s[=a]ld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Assailing.] [OE. assailen, asailen, OF. asaillir, assailler, F. assaillir; a (L. ad) + saillir to burst out, project, fr. L. salire to leap, spring; cf. L. assilire to leap or spring upon. See Sally.] 1. To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery. No rude noise mine ears assailing. --Cowper. No storm can now assail The charm he wears within. --Keble. 2. To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like. The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail. --Pope. 3. To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like. The papal authority . . . assailed. --Hallam. They assailed him with keen invective; they assailed him with still keener irony. --Macaulay. Syn: To attack; assault; invade; encounter; fall upon. See Attack.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(assails, assailing, assailed) 1. If someone assails you, they criticize you strongly. (WRITTEN) The opposition's newspapers assail the government each day... = attack VERB: V n 2. If someone assails you, they attack you violently. (WRITTEN) Her husband was assailed by a young man with a knife in a Glasgow park. = attack VERB: V n 3. If you are assailed by something unpleasant such as fears or problems, you are greatly troubled by a large number of them. (WRITTEN) She is assailed by self-doubt and emotional insecurity. = beset VERB: usu passive, be V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Assault, attack, invade, oppugn, fall upon, set upon, fly at, bear down upon, make aggression on. 2. Attack, impugn, maltreat, malign, etc. See asperse. 3. Set upon (with arguments or entreaties). See attack and importune.

Moby Thesaurus

ambush, assault, attack, blister, blitz, bushwhack, castigate, censure, come at, come down on, crack down on, criminate, cry out against, cry out on, cry shame upon, descend on, descend upon, excoriate, fall on, fall upon, flay, fustigate, gang up on, go at, go for, harry, have at, hit, hit like lightning, implicate, impugn, incriminate, inculpate, involve, jump, land on, lash, lay at, lay hands on, lay into, light into, mug, pitch into, pounce upon, pound, roast, sail into, scarify, scathe, scorch, set on, set upon, skin alive, slash, strike, surprise, swoop down on, take the offensive, trounce, wade into