Assault Meaning
/əˈsɒlt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA violent onset or attack with physical means, for example blows, weapons, etc.
nounA violent verbal attack, for example with insults, criticism, and the like
Sentence Examples
We were not prepared for the assault.
The middle aged man was charged with assault.
Both men were charged with assault.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldier led an ____ on the enemy's heavily fortified base.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The man was arrested and charged with ____ after the street fight.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English assaut, from Old French noun assaut, derived from the past participle of the verb assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assail. Spelling Latinized around 1530 to add an l.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault."
— 1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC:
"Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest."
— 1814, William Wordsworth, The Excursion, Book 5:
"Hostilities peaked with the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, an attack on the human capital of Elysium by batarian-funded pirates and slavers. In 2178, the Alliance retaliated with a crushing assault on the moon of Torfan, long used as a staging base by batarian-backed criminals. In the aftermath, the batarians retreated into their own systems, and are now rarely seen in Citadel space."
— 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Batarians Codex entry:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldier led an ____ on the enemy's heavily fortified base.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The man was arrested and charged with ____ after the street fight.