Assault — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ə-ˈsȯlt/ as·sault

Meaning & Definition of Assault

Assault (noun)

  1. a violent physical or verbal attack
  2. a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces
  3. a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary)

Assault (verb)

  1. to make an assault on, to attack violently
  2. rape
  3. to make an assault

Assault (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the act or action of setting upon with force or violence

    "was arrested for his assault of the bystander"

    similar: aggression, attack, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense, offensive, onset, onslaught, raid, rush, strike
    related: ambuscade, ambush, counteraggression, counterassault, counterattack, counteroffensive, counterstrike, sally, sortie, envelopment, flanking, breakthrough, foray, incursion, invasion, pillage, ravage, sack, air raid, bombardment, bombing, siege, storm, barrage, cannonade, fusillade, hail, salvo, volley, whammy
    near: defense, defensive, guard, shield, opposition, resistance, protection, security, shelter

  2. the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse

    "attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault"

    similar: rape, ravishment, sexual assault, violation

Assault (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to take sudden, violent action against

    "was found guilty of assaulting an officer"

    "enemy forces assaulted the city"

    similar: assail, attack, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), raid, rush, set on, sic, storm, strike, trash, turn (on), beat up on, fly at, go at, light into, pitch into, round on, set at, set upon, tear into
    related: bum-rush, gang up (on), mob, swarm, mug, rob, ambuscade, ambush, surprise, waylay, blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke, barrage, cannon, cannonade, bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster, beleaguer, besiege, press, harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, foray, invade, overrun, envelop, flank
    near: cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield

  2. to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent

    "was registered as a sex offender after assaulting the victim"

    similar: force, rape, ravish, violate

Related Entry: Assault boat (noun)

Assault boat is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for assault boat, not for assault.

  1. as in torpedo boat, PT boat

    similar: PT boat, torpedo boat, hydrofoil, hydroplane, airboat, air-cushion vehicle, hovercraft, cockleshell, tub, banker, coble, dragger, gillnetter, hooker, lugger, scalloper, seiner, shrimper, trawler, whaleboat, whaler, workboat, ferry, ferryboat, gondola, taxi, water taxi, towboat, tug, tugboat, barge, hoy, keel, keelboat, lighter, narrow boat (British), auxiliary, bumboat, cutter, jolly boat, launch, lifeboat, longboat, tender, yawl

Related Entry: Assault boats (noun)

Assault boats is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for assault boats, not for assault.

  1. as in torpedo boats, PT boats

    similar: PT boats, torpedo boats, hydrofoils, hydroplanes, airboats, air-cushion vehicles, hovercrafts, cockleshells, tubs, bankers, cobles, draggers, gillnetters, hookers, luggers, scallopers, seiners, shrimpers, trawlers, whaleboats, whalers, workboats, ferries, ferryboats, gondolas, taxis, water taxis, towboats, tugboats, tugs, barges, hoys, keelboats, keels, lighters, narrow boats (British), auxiliaries, bumboats, cutters, jolly boats, launches, lifeboats, longboats, tender, yawls

Related Entry: Assault rifle (noun)

Assault rifle is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for assault rifle, not for assault.

  1. as in assault weapon, machine gun

    similar: AK-47, assault weapon, automatic, carbine, machine gun, machine pistol, repeater, submachine gun, tommy gun, blunderbuss, breechloader, culverin, fieldpiece, firelock, flintlock, harquebus, matchlock, musket, rifle, shotgun, smoothbore, twenty-two, speargun, self-loader, semiautomatic, derringer, forty-five, gat (slang), handgun, pistol, revolver, rod (slang), roscoe (slang), sidearm, six-gun, six-shooter, zip gun, arm, firearm, gun, heat (slang), piece, small arm

Related Entry: Assault rifles (noun)

Assault rifles is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for assault rifles, not for assault.

  1. as in assault weapons, machine guns

    similar: AK-47s, assault weapons, automatics, carbines, machine guns, machine pistols, repeaters, submachine guns, tommy guns, blunderbusses, breechloaders, culverins, fieldpieces, firelocks, flintlocks, harquebuses, matchlocks, muskets, rifles, shotguns, smoothbores, twenty-twos, spearguns, self-loaders, semiautomatics, derringers, forty-fives, gats (slang), handguns, pistols, revolvers, rods (slang), roscoes (slang), sidearms, six-guns, six-shooters, zip guns, arms, firearms, guns, heat (slang), pieces, small arms

Related Entry: Assault weapon (noun)

Assault weapon is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for assault weapon, not for assault.

  1. as in assault rifle, machine gun

    similar: AK-47, assault rifle, automatic, carbine, machine gun, machine pistol, repeater, submachine gun, tommy gun, blunderbuss, breechloader, culverin, fieldpiece, firelock, flintlock, harquebus, matchlock, musket, rifle, shotgun, smoothbore, twenty-two, speargun, self-loader, semiautomatic, derringer, forty-five, gat (slang), handgun, pistol, revolver, rod (slang), roscoe (slang), sidearm, six-gun, six-shooter, zip gun, arm, firearm, gun, heat (slang), piece, small arm

Related Entry: Assault weapons (noun)

Assault weapons is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for assault weapons, not for assault.

  1. as in assault rifles, machine guns

    similar: AK-47s, assault rifles, automatics, carbines, machine guns, machine pistols, repeaters, submachine guns, tommy guns, blunderbusses, breechloaders, culverins, fieldpieces, firelocks, flintlocks, harquebuses, matchlocks, muskets, rifles, shotguns, smoothbores, twenty-twos, spearguns, self-loaders, semiautomatics, derringers, forty-fives, gats (slang), handguns, pistols, revolvers, rods (slang), roscoes (slang), sidearms, six-guns, six-shooters, zip guns, arms, firearms, guns, heat (slang), pieces, small arms

Related Entry: Sexual assault (noun)

Sexual assault is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for sexual assault, not for assault.

  1. the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse

    "convicted of sexual assault of a minor"

    similar: assault, rape, ravishment, violation

Related Entry: Counterassault (noun)

Counterassault is a different word from Assault. The synonyms below are for counterassault, not for assault.

  1. an attack made to counter an enemy's attack

    "a feeble counterassault that proved to be entirely futile"

    similar: counterattack, counteroffensive, counterpunch, counterstrike
    related: sally, sortie, blitzkrieg, charge, assault, attack, offensive, onslaught

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Assault

The most common words with a similar meaning to Assault:

aggression, attack, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense, offensive, onset, onslaught, raid, rush, strike, rape, ravishment, sexual assault, violation, assail, beset, bushwhack, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), set on, sic, storm, trash, turn (on), force, ravish, violate, beat up on, fly at, go at, light into, pitch into, round on

Related Words for Assault

ambuscade, ambush, counteraggression, counterassault, counterattack, counteroffensive, counterstrike, sally, sortie, envelopment, flanking, breakthrough, foray, incursion, invasion, pillage, ravage, sack, air raid, bombardment, bombing, siege, barrage, cannonade, fusillade, hail, salvo, volley, whammy, bum-rush

Near Antonyms of Assault

defense, defensive, guard, shield, opposition, resistance, protection, security, shelter, cover, defend, protect, secure

Word Forms of Assault

Inflections: assaulted, assaulting, assaults

Derived words: assaulter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Assault

Middle English assaut, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *assaltus, from assalire see assail

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Assault

Words & Phrases Containing Assault

assault boat, assault rifle, assault weapon, assault and battery, assault course, aggravated assault, indecent assault, sexual assault

Frequently Asked Questions about Assault

What does "Assault" mean?

"Assault" means a violent physical or verbal attack. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a violent physical or verbal attack. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Assault"?

Other words for "Assault" include aggression, attack, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main and descent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Assault" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Assault"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Assault". Common alternatives include aggression, attack, attempt, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, coup de main, descent, offense and offensive.

How do you use "Assault" in a sentence?

Examples of "Assault" in a sentence: "was arrested for his assault of the bystander"; "attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault"; "was found guilty of assaulting an officer".

Is "Assault" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Assault" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Assault" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Assault" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Assault"?

"Assault" is pronounced /ə-ˈsȯlt/ and divided into syllables as as·sault.

What is the origin of the word "Assault"?

"Assault" comes from Middle English assaut, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *assaltus, from assalire see assail. First known use: 13th century.