Definition of assault in English:

1Make a physical attack on.

1. 1.1Carry out a military attack or raid on (an enemy position)
   ‘they left their strong position to assault the hill’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Subsequent reports indicated he probably died from friendly fire, although still while trying to heroically assault an enemy position.’
   • ‘You have to assault an enemy position but also prevent bombs from going off or files from being destroyed.’
   • ‘When the enemy attacked on 3 September, they assaulted his position with grenades.’
   • ‘With only a patch of trees two hundred meters away for cover, the enemy would have a difficult time assaulting this position.’
   • ‘The safest way to assault this position was via a barely-negotiable, very steep, thorn bush-covered slope.’
   • ‘I'd like to tell my teammates to hold this position while I take a few forward and assault another location, but I can't control them at all, so I move out alone.’
   • ‘It is also true that many players know better than to waste precious match time trying to assault a strong defensive position.’
   • ‘Sixty enemy combatants in fortified positions assaulted the platoon.’
   • ‘His domain expands but never had he assaulted a village.’
   • ‘But as more and more rebel soldiers assault the extraction zone, the beleaguered marines prepare for a last stand.’
   • ‘Freedom fighters attempt to assault the city to restore the world to its natural order.’
   • ‘He identified the location of the enemy, and determined the precise point in which to assault the enemy.’
   • ‘This enemy force aggressively assaulted the Australians using rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and machine guns.’
   • ‘Air raids began last Thursday and troops started the ground assault the following day.’
   Synonyms

   attack, make an assault on, launch an attack on, assail, pounce on, set upon, launch oneself at, strike at, fall on, swoop on, rush, storm, besiege

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2. 1.2Bombard with something undesirable or unpleasant.
   ‘thunder assaulted the ears’
   More example sentences

   • ‘The thunder of footsteps assaulted her ears as she wrenched open the door, eyes flashing with ire.’
   • ‘The wind picked up suddenly and the familiar beat of a helicopter assaulted her ears.’
   • ‘Before I got very far, however, an unpleasant sight assaulted me.’
   • ‘The viewer's eyes and ears are assaulted for hours by sights and sounds of hitting, slapping, slugging, whipping, and torturing.’
   • ‘A faint buzz assaulted her ears, and the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood up.’
   • ‘I miss a little of their dialogue as a rowdy French accordion medley assaults my ears.’
   • ‘Again, they all seem as interested in assaulting our ears as they are with fighting evil.’
   • ‘The boy tapped his laptop in time to the discordant music assaulting his ears.’
   • ‘When we entered, our ears were assaulted by the hideous muzak dripping from the sound system.’
   • ‘I am calm, understated and quietly bemused at every swipe of toilet humour that assaults my ears.’
   • ‘Open the door and the ears are practically assaulted with bird calls.’
   • ‘A burst of noise and activity assaulted her ears as she walked in.’
   • ‘Does every sorority slasher flick have to assault our ears with the negligible talents of a really lousy frathouse party band?’
   • ‘The strange thing was, audiences appeared to enjoy having their eyes and ears assaulted by what they saw, and they kept on coming back for more.’
   • ‘The clanging sound of metal on metal assaulted his ears.’
   • ‘Her ears were assaulted with the sounds of chattering guests and tinkling glasses, practically drowning out the background music.’
   • ‘Walk through a shopping district or a fashionable neighbourhood in Delhi and the enervating sound of a dozen generators assaults your ears.’
   • ‘The two men winced as the sound assaulted their ears.’
   • ‘Salty air assaulted her nostrils and whipped her hair into a tangle.’
   • ‘The chorus of the surrounding forest assaulted my battered brain.’

1A physical attack.

1. 1.1Law An act that threatens physical harm to a person, whether or not actual harm is done.
   ‘he admitted an assault and two thefts’
   mass noun ‘he appeared in court charged with assault’
   More example sentences

   • ‘In that case the appellant had been convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm by harassing his female victim.’
   • ‘The father was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but was acquitted.’
   • ‘He has previous convictions for theft, robbery and assault causing actual bodily harm.’
   • ‘He admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.’
   • ‘The incident is being treated as an assault causing actual bodily harm.’
2. 1.2A military attack or raid on an enemy position.
   ‘troops began an assault on the city’
   More example sentences

   • ‘On another occasion during his 11-month tour he led three assaults on an enemy position until it finally fell.’
   • ‘He might have escaped when the boats first started the assault on the house.’
   • ‘A military assault on the country cannot be ruled out - at least in the long term.’
   • ‘Last week hundreds of these soldiers launched an assault on their own military headquarters.’
   • ‘Least of all should we cheer-lead a military assault on an already terrified, bloody and starving country.’
   • ‘In response, the army launched a military assault on the facility in which the men were being held, demolishing parts of the building.’
   • ‘I began to write a response - from the safety of my nice cosy flat - when the news came through that the military assault had begun.’
   • ‘Rockets and automatic fire stream over your head as you try and hold off the assault on your position.’
   • ‘Both Indian and Pakistan forces found that an assault on well-defended positions was extremely costly.’
   • ‘Owing to the fact that modem operations have an air-land character, combating enemy airborne assault and raid forces is acquiring special urgency.’
   • ‘As battles raged across the city centre, 15 militants mounted an assault on a police station near the airport.’
   • ‘Troops also faked attacks before the assault to confuse enemy fighters.’
   • ‘The player will be presented with a wide array of scenarios, from VIP rescue missions to stealth incursions to full frontal assaults against hordes of enemies.’
   • ‘The series begins with a ferocious military assault.’
   • ‘The men moved off in small groups towards their assault positions.’
   • ‘The city fell just 21 days after the initial assaults, and military analysts describe the campaign as historic, even brilliant.’
   • ‘Excessive speed may require that the MICLIC spend more time at the assault position rather than moving quickly forward to fire.’
   • ‘There is nothing wrong with employing a brigade to conduct a raid or as the assault element of a major encroachment.’
   • ‘So can we expect an military assault version of the two-wheeled wonder?’
   • ‘Frontal assaults were always attempted as a last resort, but they were costly, and their failures eroded political resolve back home.’
   Synonyms

   attack, strike, onslaught, offensive, storming, charge, drive, push, thrust, invasion, bombardment, sortie, sally, foray, incursion, raid, act of war, act of aggression, blitz, campaign

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3. 1.3A strong verbal attack.
   ‘an articulate assault on all forms of prejudice’
   More example sentences

   • ‘Chris then waited four seconds before resuming his verbal assault on Patrick's frayed nerves.’
   • ‘Reid nodded before continuing his verbal assault on the clerk.’
   • ‘Beginning in the fall of 2002, university administrators began a verbal assault on students and faculty supporting divestment.’
   • ‘The woman who claims to have given ‘a little lip’ to the security officer probably launched an all-out verbal assault on the man.’
   • ‘After an unusually ferocious verbal assault on a member of parliament, he was pronounced insane and shipped off to an asylum in Chiswick.’
   • ‘The constables heap a series of verbal assaults on her, with outrageous comments about her moral behaviour and attitude, for travelling alone with men in the middle of the night.’
   • ‘It is likely that we will hear more verbal assaults around both the accuracy of poverty statistics, and the legitimacy of those who produce such research.’
   • ‘It used to protect listeners and viewers from the venomous verbal assaults of right wing commentators.’
   • ‘The reporter is said to have returned to the press tent, dazed by the verbal assault, and determined to seek an apology from the player's management company.’
   • ‘He said she launched a verbal assault against him after smelling alcohol on his breath when he returned from a lunch.’
   • ‘You can't even imagine what such a verbal assault can do to one's psyche.’
   • ‘I was barely able to keep up with the barrage of verbal assaults coming my way.’
   • ‘Anna hurried out, avoiding anymore air born objects and verbal assaults.’
   • ‘Then he thought of his own limitations and knew he was not proof against his father's verbal assaults.’
   • ‘Instead he stood on the step on the driver's side, half in and half out, slowly unfurled his considerable frame to its full height, and began his verbal assault.’
   • ‘It follows that in cyberspace the intended victim of a verbal assault is also at least less likely to become disarmed, debilitated, and silenced.’
   • ‘She broke off her verbal assault because John had started to laugh.’
   • ‘All others beware: this guy's verbal assault is an earful.’
   • ‘He continued his verbal assault even as everyone tried to silence him.’
   Synonyms

   criticism, censure, denunciation, harangue, rant, polemic, diatribe, tirade, philippic

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2A concerted attempt to do something demanding.