Synonyms for assault
əˈsɔltas·sault

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 3 votes

1. assaultverb

   To attack is to begin hostilities of any kind. A general invades a country by marching in troops; he attacks a city by drawing up an army against it; he assaults it by hurling his troops directly upon its defenses. Assail and assault, tho of the same original etymology, have diverged in meaning, so that assault alone retains the meaning of direct personal violence. One may assail another with reproaches; he assaults him with a blow, a brandished weapon, etc. Armies or squadrons charge; combat and encounter may be said of individual contests. To beset is to set around, or, so to speak, to stud one's path, with menaces, attacks, or persuasions. To besiege and beleaguer are the acts of armies. To encounter is to meet face to face, and may be said either of the attacking or of the resisting force or person, or of both.

   Synonyms:
   assail, attack, attack, beleaguer, beset, besiege, charge, combat, encounter, fall upon, invade, set upon, storm

   Antonyms:
   aid, befriend, cover, defend, protect, resist, shelter, shield, support, sustain, uphold, withstand

   Preposition:
   We were attacked by the enemy with cannon and musketry.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. assault

   Synonyms:
   onset, attack, aggression, onslaught

   Antonyms:
   defense, resistance, repulsion, retaliation, undermining, sapping, stratagem

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. assaultnoun

   close fighting during the culmination of a military attack

   Synonyms:
   violation, ravishment, rape

2. assaultnoun

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

   Synonyms:
   violation, ravishment, rape

3. Assaultnoun

   thoroughbred that won the triple crown in 1946

   Synonyms:
   violation, ravishment, rape

4. rape, violation, assault, ravishmentverb

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

   Synonyms:
   ravishment, violation, misdemeanor, irreverence, usurpation, infraction, rapine, intrusion, infringement, misdemeanour, rape, colza, trespass, entrancement, encroachment

5. assail, assault, set on, attackverb

   attack someone physically or emotionally

   "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly"

   Synonyms:
   violate, set on, assail, lash out, snipe, ravish, round, dishonour, outrage, rape, dishonor, attack, aggress

6. rape, ravish, violate, assault, dishonor, dishonour, outrageverb

   force (someone) to have sex against their will

   "The woman was raped on her way home at night"

   Synonyms:
   snipe, delight, set on, ravish, dishonour, scandalise, offend, enthrall, profane, scandalize, disgrace, plunder, desecrate, lash out, transgress, shame, assail, enthral, round, appal, attack, enrapture, despoil, dishonor, transport, breach, rape, attaint, violate, infract, shock, outrage, appall, break, enchant, go against, spoil

7. attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe, assaultverb

   attack in speech or writing

   "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"

   Synonyms:
   ravish, round out, set on, polish up, rape, violate, round down, polish, snipe, lash out, outrage, assail, fill out, dishonor, round, labialise, brush up, attack, labialize, flesh out, aggress, dishonour, sharpshoot, round off

Matched Categories

1. • Attack
   • Criticize
   • Fight
   • Military
   • Thoroughbred

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. assaultnoun

   Synonyms:
   attack, onset, onslaught, aggression, invasion, charge, thrust

2. assaultnoun

   Synonyms:
   storming, storm

3. assaultverb

   Synonyms:
   assail, attack, charge, invade, STORM, fall upon, fly at, bear down upon, make aggression on

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. assaultnoun

   Synonyms:
   onset, onslaught, charge, aggression, assailing, invasion, incursion

2. assaultverb

   Synonyms:
   attack, assail

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "assault":

   aggression, attack, offensive, onslaught, assaults, mugging, abuse, violence, attacks, storming, beating

Suggested Resources

1. assault

   Song lyrics by assault -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by assault on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use assault in a sentence?

1. Anne Bayefsky:

   The U.N. high commissioner for human rights -- knowing full well the United States has no intention of granting his hoped-for second term in office -- has launched an all-out assault on President Trump and the nation he leads, the latest from this supposed democracy expert (and Jordanian prince) is to accuse President Trump of driving the U.S. democracy bus off a cliff. Apparently, Prince Zeid missed the civics lesson on the rule of law.

2. Evelyn Yang:

   My personal life and this growing public life -- theyre not separate.In this case, my experience with thesexual assault and then what happened --all that happened afterward is such a powerful and upsetting example of the truth that women are living with every day, and I just happen to have a platform to talk about it. I need to use that voice. I feel like its something thats an obligation but also a privilege and a gift that I get to share my story now and also help other women.

3. Tiffany Muller:

   These corporations' announcements are nothing more than a PR stunt -- and a bad one at that, there's only one party -- and specifically 147 members of Congress -- who incited the violent and deadly assault on our Capitol.

4. President Biden:

   I knew then, and we know now, that we needed to change, change the culture, when it comes to sexual assault. And changing the culture requires all of us, all of us, to get engaged -- especially young men, who too often stand on the sidelines. To step in, speak out, make sure everybody knows Tracey Vitchers campus does not tolerate sexual abuse.

5. President Biden:

   It’s part of an assault on democracy that we’ve seen far too often this year — and often disproportionately targeting Black and Brown Americans.