assault

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to attack in speech or writing

   The newspaper assaulted the company on their pollution record.

2. 2
   verb

   to attack someone physically or emotionally

   The mugger assaulted me and ran away.

3. 3
   verb

   to force someone to have sex against their will

   I was assaulted by my former partner.

4. 4
   noun

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

   The army made an assault on the enemy.

5. 5
   noun

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

   She launched a written assault on the opposition party.

6. 6
   verb

   To attack, physically or figuratively; to assail.

   Tom was accused of assaulting another man outside a nightclub.

7. 7
   noun

   a threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped

8. 8
   noun

   the crime of forcing a woman to submit to sexual intercourse against her will

Etymology

From Middle English assaut, from Old French noun assaut, derived from the past participle of the verb assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assail. Spelling Latinized around 1530 to add an l.