Definitions for assail
əˈseɪlas·sail

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. assail, assault, set on, attackverb

   attack someone physically or emotionally

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

2. attack, assailverb

   launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with

   "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"

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

   attack in speech or writing

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

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. assailverb

   To attack violently.

   For the next six months or so those children will assail her in public with demands for an improper story!" (from H.H. Munro's short story, "The Storyteller").

2. Etymology: verb asaillir, from assilio, from ad + salio. See also assault.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To ASSAILverb

   Etymology: assailler, Fr.

   1. To attack in a hostile manner; to assault; to fall upon; to invade.

   So when he saw his flatt’ring arts to fail,
   With greedy force he ’gan the fort t’ assail. Fairy Queen.

   2. To attack with argument; censure; or motives applied to the passions.

   My gracious lord, here in the parliament
   Let us assail the family of York. William Shakespeare, Henry VI.

   She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
   Nor bide th’ encounter of assailing eyes. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Jul.

   How have I fear’d your fate! but fear’d it most,
   When love assail’d you on the Libyan coast. John Dryden, Æn.

   All books he reads, and all he reads assails,
   From John Dryden’s Fables down to D —— y’s Tales. Alexander Pope.

   In vain Thalestris with reproach assails;
   For who can move when fair Belinda fails? Alexander Pope.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. assail

   To assail means to attack or criticize someone or something forcefully or violently, either physically or verbally. It could also refer to causing trouble or difficulty persistently.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Assailverb

   to attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery

2. Assailverb

   to encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like

3. Assailverb

   to attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Assail

   as-sāl′, v.t. to assault: to attack.—adj. Assail′able.—ns. Assail′ant, one who assails or attacks; Assail′ment. [O. Fr. asaillir—L. assilīre—ad, upon, and salīre, to leap.]

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. assail

   To attack with violence, or in a hostile manner; to assault, etc. See Attack.

Matched Categories

1. • Criticize
   • Fight

How to pronounce assail?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say assail in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of assail in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of assail in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of assail in a Sentence

1. Charlotte Brontë:

   Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. To pluck the mask from the face of the Pharisee is not to lift an impious hand to the Crown of Thorns.

2. George Bernard Shaw:

   Let a short Act of Parliament be passed, placing all street musicians outside the protection of the law, so that any citizen may assail them with stones, sticks, knives, pistols, or bombs without incurring any penalties.

3. Charlotte Bronte:

   Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last.

4. John Dryden:

   Roused by the lash of his own stubborn tail our lion now will foreign foes assail.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=assail
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Assail
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=assail
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assail
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=assail
7. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html