C1 verb Formal

assault

/əˈsɔːlt/

To make a sudden, violent physical attack on a person or place, or to criticize someone or something very strongly. In a legal context, it can refer to the act of causing someone to apprehend immediate violence.

Examples

3 of 5
1

He was charged with trying to assault a security guard outside the stadium.

He was accused of attempting to physically attack a guard outside the stadium.

2

The military forces were ordered to assault the enemy stronghold at daybreak.

The troops were commanded to launch an attack on the fortified position at dawn.

3

That neon yellow shirt is really assaulting my eyes right now!

That bright shirt is very unpleasant and overwhelming to look at.

Word Family

Noun
assault
Verb
assault
Adjective
assaulting
Related
assailant
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Memory Tip

Think of 'A-Salt'. If someone throws a bag of salt into your eyes, it is a painful physical assault.

Quick Quiz

The defendant was found guilty of attempting to _______ a police officer during the protest.

Correct!

The correct answer is: assault

Examples

1

He was charged with trying to assault a security guard outside the stadium.

everyday

He was accused of attempting to physically attack a guard outside the stadium.

2

The military forces were ordered to assault the enemy stronghold at daybreak.

formal

The troops were commanded to launch an attack on the fortified position at dawn.

3

That neon yellow shirt is really assaulting my eyes right now!

informal

That bright shirt is very unpleasant and overwhelming to look at.

4

The paper seeks to assault the prevailing theories of economic growth using new data sets.

academic

The article aims to strongly challenge and criticize existing economic theories with new data.

5

The company plans to assault the European market with a series of low-cost, high-quality products.

business

The firm intends to aggressively enter and compete within the European market.

Word Family

Noun
assault
Verb
assault
Adjective
assaulting
Related
assailant

Common Collocations

brutally assault To attack someone in an extremely violent and cruel manner
verbally assault To attack someone using harsh, aggressive, or abusive language
physically assault To attack someone with physical force
assault the senses Something so intense it overwhelms sight, smell, or hearing
sexual assault Illegal physical contact of a sexual nature

Common Phrases

assault and battery

A legal term for a physical attack involving both the threat and the act

assault on the senses

An experience that is overwhelming to one's perception

armed assault

An attack carried out with weapons

Often Confused With

assault vs insult

An insult is a verbal offense to someone's feelings, while an assault is a violent physical or intense metaphorical attack.

assault vs battery

In many legal systems, assault is the threat of violence, whereas battery is the actual physical contact.

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Usage Notes

While primarily used for physical violence, it is common in metaphorical contexts, such as 'assaulting one's intelligence' or 'assaulting a market'. In legal English, its definition varies by jurisdiction, sometimes requiring only the threat of harm.

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Common Mistakes

Learners often forget that 'assault' is a transitive verb and does not usually require a preposition like 'on' when used as a verb (e.g., 'they assaulted the city' is correct, not 'they assaulted on the city').

💡

Memory Tip

Think of 'A-Salt'. If someone throws a bag of salt into your eyes, it is a painful physical assault.

📖

Word Origin

Derived from the Old French word 'assault', which comes from the Latin 'adsaltus', meaning 'to leap upon'.

Grammar Patterns

Transitive verb: takes a direct object. Regular verb: -ed suffix for past tense and past participle. Can be used as both a noun and a verb with the same spelling.
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Cultural Context

In Western legal systems, assault is a serious criminal offense, and the term is frequently used in news reporting regarding crime and military operations.

Quick Quiz

The defendant was found guilty of attempting to _______ a police officer during the protest.

Correct!

The correct answer is: assault

Related Words

syngravent

C1

To formally reach a collective agreement or to consolidate disparate ideas into a singular, authoritative consensus through deliberation. It is typically used in academic or high-level professional contexts to describe the synthesis of various perspectives into a unified stance.

homoaltersion

C1

To systematically modify a component or individual within a group so that it aligns identically with the properties of its counterparts. It describes the act of enforcing homogeneity through specific, calculated adjustments to maintain structural consistency.

homogratacy

C1

To achieve a state of collective agreement or uniform satisfaction within a group by aligning interests or expressing mutual gratitude. It involves the process of harmonizing conflicting viewpoints into a single, mutually pleasing outcome.

multipatership

C1

Multipatership refers to the biological phenomenon where a single litter or brood of offspring is sired by more than one father. In sociology, it describes the state of a woman having children with multiple different partners, often referred to as multi-partnered fertility.

periluddom

C1

A noun referring to the state or environment of anticipation and ritualized preparation that occurs just before a competitive event, game, or performance. It encompasses the collective psychological atmosphere and physical activities shared by participants and spectators before the main action begins.

circummentcy

C1

The act or state of bypassing restrictions, rules, or obstacles through strategic maneuvering or the exploitation of loopholes. It refers specifically to the quality of being able to find indirect routes to achieve a goal while avoiding direct confrontation with a system.

adcedent

C1

Describing a person, entity, or state that is in the process of acceding to an existing agreement, treaty, or organization. It refers to the act of joining or consenting to be bound by terms previously established by others.

misvalness

C1

To incorrectly estimate or judge the intrinsic worth or significance of something, particularly by failing to recognize its true essence or state. It refers to the act of assigning a wrong value to an object or concept based on a misunderstanding of its fundamental nature.

homotactible

C1

Describing objects, surfaces, or body parts that are sensitive to touch in an identical way or occupy the same position in a tactile arrangement. It is a technical term used to compare sensory perception across different areas or specimens.

repatible

C1

To officially return a person, such as a refugee or prisoner of war, or an object like currency or cultural artifacts, to their country of origin. This verb is primarily used in legal, political, and financial contexts regarding international borders and national belonging.

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