Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense assails, present participle assailing, past tense, past participle assailed
1. verb
If someone assails you, they criticize you strongly.
[written]
The opposition's newspapers assail the government each day. [VERB noun]
The labour movement has been assailed by accusations of sexism. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: criticize, abuse, blast, flame [informal] More Synonyms of assail
2. verb
If someone assails you, they attack you violently.
[written]
Dividing his command, Morgan assailed both strongholds at the same time. [VERB noun]
Her husband was assailed by a young man with a knife in a Glasgow park. [beVERB-ed + by]
Synonyms: attack, charge, assault, invade More Synonyms of assail
3. verb [usually passive]
If you are assailedby something unpleasant such as fears or problems, you are greatly troubled by a large number of them.
[written]
She is assailed by self-doubt and emotional insecurity. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: plague, trouble, pain, harry More Synonyms of assail
4. verb
If you say that a loud sound or a strong smell assails someone's ears or nostrils, you are emphasizing that it is very intense and seems shocking or unpleasant.
[written, emphasis]
The scent of burning metal assailed his nostrils. [VERB noun]
assail in British English
(əˈseɪl)
verb(transitive)
1.
to attack violently; assault
2.
to criticize or ridicule vehemently, as in argument
3.
to beset or disturb
his mind was assailed by doubts
4.
to encounter with the intention of mastering
to assail a problem
to assail a difficult mountain ridge
Derived forms
assailable (asˈsailable)
adjective
assailer (asˈsailer)
noun
assailment (asˈsailment)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French asalir, from Vulgar Latin assalīre (unattested) to leap upon, from Latin assilīre, from salīre to leap
assail in American English
(əˈseɪl)
verb transitive
1.
to attack physically and violently; assault
2.
to attack with arguments, questions, doubts, etc.
3.
to begin working on (a task, problem, etc.) with vigor and determination
4.
to have a forceful effect on
a loud noise assailed her ears
SIMILAR WORDS: atˈtack
Derived forms
assailable (asˈsailable)
adjective
assailer (asˈsailer)
noun
assailment (asˈsailment)
noun
Word origin
ME assailen < OFr asaillir < VL assalire, for L assilire, to leap on < ad-, to + salire, to leap: see salient
Examples of 'assail' in a sentence
assail
Few such doubts assailed the other winners on the card.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It is Pip who looks assailed by doubts.
Paul Preston DOVES OF WAR: Four Women of Spain (2002)
Europeans weren't much assailed by self-doubt in their encounters with foreign civilisations.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Doubt assailed me as I walked.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
assail
British English: assail VERB
If someone assails you, they criticize you strongly.
Protesters assailed the proposed fare increase.
American English: assail
Brazilian Portuguese: atacar
Chinese: 抨击
European Spanish: atacar
French: attaquer
German: angreifen
Italian: attaccare
Japanese: 激しく非難する
Korean: 공격을 가하다
European Portuguese: atacar
Latin American Spanish: atacar
1 (verb)
Definition
to criticize strongly
These newspapers assail the government each day.
Synonyms
criticize
His mother had rarely criticized him or any of her children.
abuse
He alleged that he was verbally abused by other soldiers.
blast
They have blasted the report.
flame (informal)
put down
malign
We maligned him dreadfully, assuming the very worst about him.
berate
Marion berated Joe for the noise he made.
revile
What right had the crowd to revile them?
vilify
He was vilified and forced into exile.
tear into (informal)
diss (slang)
impugn
I hope the good name of the company will not be impugned.
go for the jugular
lambast(e)
2 (verb)
Definition
to attack violently
He was assailed by a young man.
Synonyms
attack
The duo are believed to have attacked several people in South London.
charge
Our general ordered us to charge the enemy.
assault
The gang assaulted him in the street.
invade
In 1944 the allies invaded the Italian mainland.
set about
beset
fall upon
set upon
lay into (informal)
maltreat
belabour
They have been belaboured on all sides for withdrawing from the cup.
3 (verb)
Definition
to disturb
She is assailed by self-doubt and emotional insecurity.
Synonyms
plague
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
trouble
Is anything troubling you?
pain
It pains me to think of an animal being in distress.
harry
He would exploit and harry his workers.
bother
I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.
disturb
I didn't want to disturb you.
torture
He would not torture her further by arguing.
haunt
The memory of his mistakes still haunts him.
annoy
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
tease
He teased me mercilessly about going there.
torment
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
harass
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
hassle (informal)
The children started hassling me as soon as I sat down.
afflict
There are four main problems that afflict these people.
badger
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
persecute
He described his manager as constantly persecuting him.
molest
He disguised himself to avoid being molested in the street.
pester
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
vex
Everything about that man vexes me.
bedevil
His career was bedevilled by injury.
give someone grief (British, South Africa)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abuse
Definition
to speak insultingly or cruelly to
He alleged that he was verbally abused by other soldiers.
Synonyms
insult,
injure,
offend,
curse,
put down,
smear,
libel,
slate (informal, British),
slag (off) (slang),
malign,
scold,
swear at,
disparage,
castigate,
revile,
vilify,
slander,
diss (slang),
defame,
upbraid,
slight,
flame (informal),
inveigh against,
call names,
traduce (formal),
calumniate,
vituperate
in the sense of afflict
Definition
to cause someone suffering or unhappiness
There are four main problems that afflict these people.