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assail

 
Dictionary: as·sail   (ə-sāl') pronunciation
tr.v., -sailed, -sail·ing, -sails.
  1. To attack with or as if with violent blows; assault.
  2. To attack verbally, as with ridicule or censure. See synonyms at attack.
  3. To trouble; beset: was assailed by doubts.

[Middle English assailen, from Old French asalir, asaill-, from Vulgar Latin *assalīre, variant of Latin assilīre, to jump on : ad-, onto; see ad- + salīre, to jump.]

assailable as·sail'a·ble adj.
assailability as·sail'a·bil'i·ty n.
assailer as·sail'er n.
assailment as·sail'ment n.

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Thesaurus: assail
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verb

  1. To hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows: assault, baste, batter, beat, belabor, buffet, drub, hammer, pound, pummel, smash, thrash, thresh. Informal lambaste. Slang clobber. Idioms: rain blows on. See attack/defend, strike/miss.
  2. To attack with harsh, often insulting language: abuse, rail against (or at), revile, vituperate. See praise/blame.
  3. To set upon with violent force: aggress, assault, attack, beset, fall on (or upon), go at, have at, sail into, storm, strike. Informal light into, pitch into. See attack/defend.

Word Tutor: assail
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To attack with vigor.

pronunciation The cat assailed the mouse.

WordNet: assail
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The verb has 3 meanings:

Meaning #1: attack someone physically or emotionally
  Synonyms: assault, set on, attack

Meaning #2: launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities with, as in warfare
  Synonym: attack

Meaning #3: attack verbally, in speech or writing
  Synonyms: attack, round, lash out, snipe, assault


Translations: Assail
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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - angribe, overfalde, gå løs på

Nederlands (Dutch)
bestormen, heftig aanvallen, er van langs geven, overrompelen

Français (French)
v. tr. - agresser, (lit) attaquer, assaillir, (fig) accabler, harceler de, assaillir (de doutes)

Deutsch (German)
v. - angreifen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - επιτίθεμαι, βάλλω κατά

Italiano (Italian)
assalire, violentare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - assaltar, atacar, investir violentamente

Русский (Russian)
наступать, атаковать, наброситься на

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - atacar, acometer, abrumar, asaltar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - angripa, överösa

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
质问, 攻击

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 質問, 攻擊

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 습격하다, ~에 결연히 맞서다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 襲う, ことばで攻めたてる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يهاجم بعنف, يغير على‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הסתער, התקיף, התנפל‬


 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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