assault

noun

A violent onset or attack with physical means, for example blows, weapons, etc.

(crime law) An attempt to commit battery: a violent attempt, or willful effort with force or violence, to do hurt to another, but without necessarily touching the person, such as by raising a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at the person and missing.

A violent verbal attack, for example with insults, criticism, and the like

(tort law) An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm (such as brandishing a weapon).

(singular only, law) The crime whose action is such an attempt.

(singular only, law) The tort whose action is such an act.

(fencing) A non-competitive combat between two fencers.

verb

(transitive) To attack, physically or figuratively; to assail.

(transitive) To threaten or harass.

Roots

salio-sault · Latin · leap

Synonyms for assault

attackn assailv rapen onslaughtn muggingn violationn invasionn counterattackn raidn counteroffensiven molestationn incursionn offensen batteringn abusen

Synonyms & related words for assault

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of assault — including attack, assail, rape, onslaught, mugging, violation. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to assault

Explore words related to assault — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include ravishment, assaultive, storming, aggress, robbery, assailant, burglary, outrage. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for assault

Common synonyms for assault include attack, assail, rape, onslaught, mugging, violation, invasion, counterattack — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does assault come from?

The word assault breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -sault, from Latin salio (“leap”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.