assault

English

Etymology

From Old French noun assaut, from the verb asaillir, from Latin assiliō, from ad ‎(“towards”) + saliō ‎(“to jump”). See also assail.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈsɔːlt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

assault ‎(plural assaults)

1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.
   • Prescott

     The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault.

   • Shakespeare

     Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.

2. A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.
3. (criminal, 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 his person, as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at him and missing him.
4. (singular only, law) The crime whose action is such an attempt.
5. (tort law) An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm.
6. (singular only, law) The tort whose action is such an act.
7. (fencing) A non-competitive combat between two fencers.

Synonyms

• onfall

Derived terms

Derived terms

antiassault assault and battery

nonassault reassault

Coordinate terms

• battery

Translations

a violent onset or attack

• Arabic: اِقْتِحَام m ‎(iqtiḥām)
• Bulgarian: атака (bg) f ‎(atáka), нападение (bg) n ‎(napadénie), щурм (bg) m ‎(šturm)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 突擊 (zh), 突击 (zh) ‎(tújí), 攻擊 (zh), 攻击 (zh) ‎(gōngjī, gōngjí)

• Dutch: aanranding (nl) f
• French: assaut (fr) m
• Georgian: თავდასხმა ‎(tavdasxma)
• German: Anschlag (de) m
• Icelandic: áhlaup (is) n
• Italian: assalto (it), attacco (it), aggressione (it)

• Japanese: 突撃 (ja) ‎(とつげき, totsugeki), 攻撃 (ja) ‎(こうげき, kōgeki)
• Norwegian: voldta
• Persian: یورش (fa), تجاوز (fa)
• Polish: napaść (pl), szturm m
• Portuguese: assalto (pt) m
• Russian: нападе́ние (ru) n ‎(napadénije), ата́ка (ru) f ‎(atáka), (military) штурм (ru) m ‎(šturm)
• Spanish: asalto (es) m, acometimiento (es) m
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} angrepp (sv) n, (1, 2, 3) ^{(please verify)} attack (sv) c, (4) ^{(please verify)} hot (sv) n
• Tagalog: pagsalakay, panlalaban
• Walloon: assåt (wa) m

Verb

assault ‎(third-person singular simple present assaults, present participle assaulting, simple past and past participle assaulted)

1. To attack, threaten or harass.

Translations

to attack, threaten or harass

• Bulgarian: атакувам (bg) ‎(atakuvam), щурмувам (bg) ‎(šturmuvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 攻擊 (zh), 攻击 (zh) ‎(gōngjī, gōngjí)

• Dutch: aanranden (nl), vergrijpen (nl)
• French: attaquer (fr), agresser (fr)
• German: überfallen (de), angreifen (de)
• Hungarian: megtámad (hu)
• Italian: attaccare (it), aggredire (it), assalire (it), molestare

• Japanese: 攻める (ja) ‎(せめる, semeru)
• Norman: assauter
• Latin: assultō
• Maori: taiapu, haupatu
• Portuguese: agredir (pt)
• Russian: напада́ть (ru) impf ‎(napadátʹ), напа́сть (ru) pf ‎(napástʹ), (military) атакова́ть (ru) impf ‎(atakovátʹ), pf, (military) штурмова́ть (ru) impf ‎(šturmovátʹ), pf
• Spanish: asaltar (es), atacar (es)
• Walloon: assåder (wa)

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Middle French

Noun

assault m (plural assauls)

1. (chiefly military) assault; attack