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assault
/əˈsɔlt/
violent physical or verbal attack
He was arrested for assaulting a police officer.
He was arrested for physically attacking a police officer.
Law
formal
A violent physical attack on someone.
The victim suffered minor injuries from the assault.
The victim was slightly hurt because of the attack.
She filed charges after the assault in the parking lot.
She reported the attack that happened in the parking lot.
In legal contexts, assault can refer to the threat of violence that causes fear of imminent harm, even without physical contact.
Law
formal
To violently attack someone physically or verbally.
The suspect was charged with assaulting a security guard.
The suspect was accused of attacking a security guard.
He was found guilty of assaulting his neighbor during an argument.
He was convicted of physically attacking his neighbor.
Can also describe non-physical attacks, such as verbal assaults or emotional abuse.
literary
A strong or sudden attack on someone's senses or emotions.
The assault of colors in the painting was overwhelming.
The intense colors in the painting were too much to take in.
The sudden assault of noise from the construction site made it hard to concentrate.
The loud noise from the construction site made focusing difficult.
Often used metaphorically to describe overwhelming sensory experiences.
Collocations
sexual assaultrape or attempted rapeassault and batterylegal charge for physical attack and actual physical harmphysical assaultviolent physical attackverbal assaultharsh or abusive language
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Legal vs. Common Usage
In legal contexts, 'assault' may not require physical contact, while in everyday speech it usually implies physical harm. Always check the context.
Gold Rule
Assault vs. Battery
In legal terms, 'assault' can mean the threat of violence, while 'battery' means actual physical contact. However, in common speech, 'assault' often covers both.
Word Origin
Middle English from Old French 'assaut' (from Latin 'assaltus', past participle of 'assilire' meaning 'to leap upon'), from 'ad-' (to) + 'salire' (to leap).
Usage Notes
In legal terms, 'assault' can sometimes refer to the threat of violence without physical contact, while 'battery' refers to actual physical harm. In everyday language, 'assault' is often used to mean any kind of violent attack.
Word Breakdown
as-
variant of 'ad-' (to, toward)
prefix-sault
from Latin 'salire' (to leap)
rootEnglish Dictionary