ASSAIL


Meaning of ASSAIL in English

I. əˈsāl also aˈ- transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English assailen, from Old French asaillir, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin assalire, alteration (influenced by salire ) of Latin assilire, adsilire to leap upon, from ad- + salire to leap — more at sally

1. : to attack with violence or vehemence : assault

assail a man with blows

assail a city

the noise assailed his ears

2. : to attack forcefully or violently by nonphysical means (as with words)

the adherents of the new learning were assailed with every sort of ridicule — G.G.Coulton

: beset strongly with or as if with intent to overcome

assailed by a cloud of disturbing thoughts — T.B.Costain

3. archaic : woo

assail her with tenderness

4. : to encounter or confront (as an obstacle) in order to prevail over

assail the slope below the cliff

5. : to make an impact upon

the faint smell of copper assailed my nostrils — Amy Lowell

Synonyms: see attack

II. noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English, from assailen

archaic : attack

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.