ASSAIL: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for ASSAIL?

Need another word that means the same as “assail”? Find 53 synonyms and 30 related words for “assail” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Assail” are: assault, attack, lash out, round, snipe, set on, make an assault on, launch an attack on, pounce on, set upon, launch oneself at, weigh into, fly at, let fly at, turn on, round on, lash out at, hit out at, beset, belabour, fall on, accost, mug, charge, rush, storm, besiege, trouble, disturb, worry, plague, torture, torment, rack, bedevil, nag, vex, harass, pester, dog, criticize, censure, condemn, castigate, chastise, berate, lambast, lash, pillory, find fault with, abuse, revile, give someone a bad press

Assail as a Verb

Definitions of "Assail" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “assail” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Attack in speech or writing.
• Make a concerted or violent attack on.
• Launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with.
• Criticize strongly.
• (of an unpleasant feeling or physical sensation) come upon (someone) suddenly and strongly.
• Attack someone physically or emotionally.

Synonyms of "Assail" as a verb (53 Words)

abuse	Use wrongly or improperly or excessively. He was a depraved man who had abused his two young daughters.
accost	Speak to someone. He was accosted by a thief demanding his money or his life.
assault	Make a physical attack on. She was sexually assaulted as a child.
attack	Attack someone physically or emotionally. In February the Germans attacked Verdun.
bedevil	(of something bad) cause great and continual trouble to. He bedevilled them with petty practical jokes.
belabour	Attack verbally with harsh criticism. There is no need to belabour the point.
berate	Censure severely or angrily. She berated herself for being fickle.
beset	Hem in. Springy grass all beset with tiny jewel like flowers.
besiege	Cause to feel distressed or worried. The king marched north to besiege Berwick.
castigate	Reprimand (someone) severely. He was castigated for not setting a good example.
censure	Rebuke formally. Shareholders censured the bank for its extravagance.
charge	Enter a certain amount as a charge. They charge the calls to their credit card accounts.
chastise	Punish, especially by beating. The General cruelly chastised them with a whip.
condemn	Appropriate (property) for public use. Most leaders roundly condemned the attack.
criticize	Indicate the faults of (someone or something) in a disapproving way. The opposition criticized the government s failure to consult adequately.
disturb	Destroy the peace or tranquility of. Don t disturb the patient s wounds by moving him too rapidly.
dog	Grip (something) with a mechanical device. The twenty nine year old has constantly been dogged by controversy.
fall on	To be given by right or inheritance.
find fault with	Get something or somebody for a specific purpose.
fly at	Be dispersed or disseminated.
give someone a bad press	Transmit (knowledge or skills.
harass	Exhaust by attacking repeatedly. The squadron s task was to harass the retreating enemy forces.
hit out at	Hit the intended target or goal.
lambast	Censure severely or angrily. They lambasted the report as a gross distortion of the truth.
lash	Lash or flick about sharply. They lashed him repeatedly about the head.
lash out	Beat severely with a whip or rod.
lash out at	Lash or flick about sharply.
launch an attack on	Get going; give impetus to.
launch oneself at	Launch for the first time; launch on a maiden voyage.
let fly at	Cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition.
make an assault on	Charge with a function; charge to be.
mug	Attack and rob (someone) in a public place. I was mugged in the streets of New York last night.
nag	Worry persistently. She constantly nags her daughter about getting married.
pester	Trouble or annoy (someone) with frequent or persistent requests or interruptions. She constantly pestered him with telephone calls.
pillory	Punish by putting in a pillory. He found himself pilloried by members of his own party.
plague	Cause to suffer a blight. He has been plagued by ill health.
pounce on	Move down on as if in an attack.
rack	Go at a rack. He was racked with guilt.
revile	Criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner. He was now reviled by the party that he had helped to lead.
round	Wind around move along a circular course. Her eyes rounded in dismay.
round on	Bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state.
rush	Cause to move fast or to rush or race. Shoppers rushed to buy computers.
set on	Apply or start.
set upon	Arrange attractively.
snipe	Hunt or shoot snipe. The state governor constantly sniped at the president.
storm	Attack by storm attack suddenly. It was storming all night.
torment	Torment emotionally or mentally. The sinners will be tormented in Hell according to the Bible.
torture	Subject to torture. Most of the victims had been brutally tortured.
trouble	Take the trouble to do something concern oneself. It did not trouble me that he had secrets.
turn on	Become officially one year older.
vex	Make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters. Vex the subject of the death penalty.
weigh into	Have weight; have import, carry weight.
worry	Be on the mind of. There was no need to worry her.

Usage Examples of "Assail" as a verb

• She was assailed by doubts and regrets.
• He assailed a group of editors for their alleged excesses.
• Nightmares assailed him regularly.
• The Scots army assailed Edward's army from the rear.
• Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week.

Associations of "Assail" (30 Words)

arrow	A projectile with a straight thin shaft and an arrowhead on one end and stabilizing vanes on the other intended to be shot from a bow. I ve never used a bow and arrow.
artillery	Large but transportable armament. Tanks and heavy artillery.
assault	A threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped. They left their strong position to assault the hill.
attack	The act of attacking. A plan of action to attack unemployment.
ballistic	Moving under the force of gravity only.
battalion	A large body of troops ready for battle, especially an infantry unit forming part of a brigade. A battalion of ants.
bomb	Make someone homeless by destroying their home with bombs. It just became another big budget film that bombed.
bombard	Direct a stream of high-speed particles at (a substance). They will be bombarded with complaints.
bombardier	A noncommissioned officer in the British artillery.
bullet	A pitch thrown with maximum velocity. Your record s bad but it s doubtful they ll give you the bullet.
cannon	Make a cannon. They would cross at the Town ford under cover of the defending cannon.
deactivation	Breaking up a military unit (by transfers or discharges.
defense	(military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies. He gave evidence for the defense.
detonate	Burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction. The bomb detonated at noon.
enemy	A personal enemy. The enemy attacked at dawn.
explosion	The noise caused by an explosion. An explosion in the adder population.
fiercely	In a powerful and destructive manner. They are fiercely independent.
fighter	A fast military aircraft designed for attacking other aircraft. World War II fighter planes.
gunner	A naval warrant officer in charge of a ship’s guns, gun crews, and ordnance stores.
implode	Collapse or cause to collapse violently inwards. The bottle imploded.
missile	A rocket carrying a warhead of conventional or nuclear explosives; may be ballistic or directed by remote control. The plane disintegrated after being hit by a missile launched from the ground.
opposed	In conflict with or hostile to. Parties opposed to the ruling party.
outburst	A sudden release of strong emotion. An angry outburst from the prime minister.
projectile	Denoting or relating to a projectile. They tried to shield Johnson from the projectiles that were being thrown.
raid	Conduct a raid on. The pirates raided the coastal villages regularly.
rocket	Propel with a rocket. He got a rocket from the Director.
tank	Fill the tank of a vehicle with fuel. The previous movie had tanked at the box office.
trajectory	The path followed by an object moving through space. The rapid upward trajectory of Rich s career.
war	Engage in a war. A war of wits.
weapon	Any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting. He used all his conversational weapons.