Added 9 October 2026
assail
/əˈseɪl/ verb
In Latin: īnstō, incessō Wiktionary
verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about assail at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Attack someone physically or emotionally.
The mugger assaulted the woman
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Launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with.
Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II
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Attack in speech or writing.
The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker
Origin
From Middle English assailen, from Old French assaillir, assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assault.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)