Assail

Pronunciation: /əˈseɪl/

Definitions of assail

verb to make a concerted or violent attack on

Example Sentences

A1 The strong wind assailed the trees, making them sway.

A2 The reporter was assailed by questions from the audience during the press conference.

B1 The company was assailed with negative reviews after the product launch.

B2 The politician was assailed by accusations of corruption from their opponents.

C1 The army assailed the enemy stronghold under the cover of darkness.

C2 The lawyer assailed the witness with tough questions during cross-examination.

Examples of assail in a Sentence

formal The enemy troops were preparing to assail the fortress.

informal I heard they're going to assail us with questions during the meeting.

slang I can't believe she tried to assail him with those rumors.

figurative Negative thoughts can assail your mind if you don't practice mindfulness.

Grammatical Forms of assail

• past tense: assailed
• plural: assails
• comparative: more assailing
• superlative: most assailing
• present tense: assails
• future tense: will assail
• perfect tense: has assailed
• continuous tense: is assailing
• singular: assail
• positive degree: assail
• infinitive: to assail
• gerund: assailing
• participle: assailed

Origin and Evolution of assail

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'assail' originated from Old French 'assaillir' which came from Latin 'adsalire' meaning 'to leap at, attack'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'assail' has retained its original meaning of attacking or assaulting, but has also taken on a more figurative sense of confronting or criticizing someone or something aggressively.