Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To attack violently, as with blows or military force; assault.
- transitive verb To attack verbally, as with ridicule or censure. synonym: attack.
- transitive verb To trouble or beset, as with questions or doubts.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To fall upon with violence; assault; attack.
- To attack with reasoning, arguments, censure, abuse, criticism, appeals, entreaties, or anything that bears upon the mind or feelings: as, to
assail an obnoxious person with jeers. - To fall upon; bring something to bear upon or against; come in contact with: as, the ship was assailed by a severe storm.
- Synonyms Attack, Set upon, Fall upon, Assail, Assault. Attack, literally to fasten to, is the most general of these words. Set upon and fall upon have the vigor of short and familiar words, and they express a sudden, energetic attack. Assail and assault, literally to leap or spring at, are to attack vehemently and perhaps suddenly. Assault is the stronger of the two, and is especially used of attacks with personal violence, as with fists, stones, etc. All five of these words may be extended to warfare, and to contests and struggles of any kind.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest
- transitive verb To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like.
- transitive verb 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..
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
attack violently.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb attack someone physically or emotionally
- verb attack in speech or writing
- verb launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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If Scotland be to rest under the happy reign of Robert Bruce, then envy cannot again assail Sir William Wallace, and my father has not shed his blood in vain.
The Scottish Chiefs 1875
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_ Gazing in a dazed way at the awful sights of this circle, Dante learns it is twenty-one miles in circumference, ere he passes on to the next bridge, where lamentations such as assail one's ears in a hospital constantly arise.
The Book of the Epic 1894
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It was hard to think, hard even to pray, gloomy ideas, and doubts, and fears, such as assail even true Christians, crowded on his mind.
Janet McLaren The Faithful Nurse William Henry Giles Kingston 1847
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ABC News 'Jake Tapper reported last night that the White House planned to "assail" Inhofe's remarks, though it was unclear whether Obama himself would comment on them:
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We can analyze the minutia ad infinitum, point our fingers of blame at Tea Party politics and assail the rhetoric of the right wing more broadly.
Morris W. O'Kelly: Time for President Obama to Channel Samuel L. Jackson Morris W. O'Kelly 2011
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I am the chair of the Domestic Violence Judicial panel in my county (not Ruralshire) and encourage my colleagues to pass significant custodial sentences at the first offence stage for DV convictions, particularly if the assail; ant pleads not guilty but is found guilty after a trial involving the victim as a witness.
Sonnex and Farmer – only a matter of time. « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2009
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Mr. Paul's new strategy has been to assail opponents like Mr. Gingrich, hoping to remind voters of his rivals' flaws.
Why Ron Paul Can't Win Kimberley A. Strassel 2011
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The Republican nominee will assail Obama's fiscal record and promise a determined assault on the debt.
Think this economy is bad? Wait for 2012. Greg Ip 2010
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Nowadays, partisans on one side of the aisle mercilessly assail their opponents as nefarious ideologues bent on the destruction of the nation, while claiming the sacred mantle of the Founding Fathers as exclusively their own.
Morgan Pehme: Strip Politics: A Cure for Incivility Morgan Pehme 2011
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Nowadays, partisans on one side of the aisle mercilessly assail their opponents as nefarious ideologues bent on the destruction of the nation, while claiming the sacred mantle of the Founding Fathers as exclusively their own.
Morgan Pehme: Strip Politics: A Cure for Incivility Morgan Pehme 2011
Kristianto2010 commented on the word assail
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught 3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger. Psalm 55:2~3.
February 4, 2011