English > assail: 3 senses > verb 1, competition| Meaning | attack someone physically or emotionally. |
|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody; Something ----s somebody |
|---|
| Example | "Nightmares assailed him regularly" |
|---|
| Synonyms | assault, set on, attack |
|---|
| Entailed by | hold up, stick up | rob at gunpoint or by means of some other threat |
|---|
| Narrower | bait | attack with dogs or set dogs upon |
|---|
| beset, set upon | assail or attack on all sides |
| blindside | attack or hit on or from the side where the attacked person's view is obstructed |
| bulldog | attack viciously and ferociously |
| desecrate, profane, outrage, violate | violate the sacred character of a place or language |
| jump | make a sudden physical attack on |
| molest | harass or assault sexually |
| rape, ravish, violate, assault, dishonor, dishonour, outrage | Force (someone) to have sex against their will |
| reassail | assail again |
| rush | attack suddenly |
| savage | attack brutally and fiercely |
| sic, set | urge to attack someone |
| Spanish | agredir, asaltar, atacar, violar |
|---|
| Catalan | agredir, assaltar, atacar, violar |
|---|
| Nouns | assailant | someone who attacks |
|---|
English > assail: 3 senses > verb 2, competition| Meaning | launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare / warfare with. |
|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody |
|---|
| Example | "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week" |
|---|
| Synonym | attack |
|---|
| Narrower | besiege, beleaguer, surround, hem in, circumvent | Surround so as to force to give up |
|---|
| blitz | attack suddenly and without warning |
| bombard, bomb | Throw bombs at or attack with bombs |
| cannonade | attack with cannons or artillery |
| counterattack, counterstrike | make a counterattack |
| gas | attack with gas |
| invade, occupy | march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation |
| pepper, pelt | attack and bombard with or as if with missiles |
| raid, bust | Search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on |
| storm, surprise | attack by storm |
| strafe | attack with machine guns or cannon fire from a low-flying plane |
| strike, hit | make a strategic, offensive, assault against an enemy, opponent, or a target |
| submarine | attack by submarine |
| torpedo | attack or hit with torpedoes |
| Broader | contend, fight, struggle | Be engaged in a fight |
|---|
| Opposite | defend | Be on the defensive |
|---|
| Similar to | attack, aggress | Take the initiative and go on the offensive |
|---|
| Spanish | agredir, asaltar, atacar |
|---|
| Catalan | agredir, assaltar, atacar |
|---|
| Adjectives | assailable | not defended or capable of being defended |
|---|
| Nouns | assailant | someone who attacks |
|---|
