View source for assail

==English==

===Etymology===
{{root|en|ine-pro|*sel-}}
From {{inh|en|enm|assailen}}, from {{der|en|fro|assalir|assaillir, assalir}}, from {{der|en|LL.|assalio|assalīre}}, from {{der|en|la|ad|t=at, towards}} + {{m|la|saliō|salīre|t=jump}}. See also {{m|en|assault}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{IPA|en|/əˈseɪl/}}
** {{audio|en|LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-assail.wav|a=Southern England}}
* {{rhymes|en|eɪl|s=2}}
* {{hmp|en|asail}}

===Verb===
{{en-verb}}

# {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[attack]] with harsh words or violent force (''also [[figurative]]ly'').
#: {{ux|en|Muggers '''assailed''' them as they entered an alley.}}
#: {{ux|en|Our ears were '''assailed''' by her joyous efforts on her new saxophone.}}
#* {{RQ:Spenser Faerie Queene|1|6|page=76-77|text=With greedy force he [[gin#Etymology_3|gan]] the fort '''assayle''',<br>Whereof he [[ween#Etymology_2|weend]] possesse soone to bee,<br>And win rich spoile of ransackt chastitee.}}
#* {{RQ:Shakespeare Hamlet|I|1|text={{...}} let us once again '''assail''' your ears,<br>That are so fortified against our story,<br>What we two nights have seen.}}
#* {{quote-book|en|year=1897|author=w:Saki|chapter=The Story-teller|title=Beasts and Super-beasts|location=London|publisher=John Lane|year_published=1914|page=238|url=https://archive.org/details/beastssuperbeast00sakirich/page/238/mode/1up?q=assail
|passage=“{{...}} for the next six months or so those children will '''assail''' her in public with demands for an improper story!”}}
#* {{quote-book|en|year=1942|author=w:Zora Neale Hurston|title=w:Dust Tracks on a Road|location=New York|publisher=Arno Press and The New York Times|year_published=1969|chapter=14|page=258|url=https://archive.org/details/dusttracksonroad00hurs/page/258/mode/1up?q=assailed
|passage=We got married immediately after I finished my work {{...}} which should have been the happiest day of my life. {{...}} ¶ But, it was not my happiest day. I was '''assailed''' by doubts.}}
#* '''2007''', {{w|Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o|Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o}}, ''{{w|Wizard of the Crow}},'' Nairobo: East African Educational Publishers, Book{{nbsp}}2, Chapter{{nbsp}}3, p.{{nbsp}}64,<sup>[https://books.google.ca/books?id=3RevS0tOEpoC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false]</sup>
#*: He did not like being in crowds, foul smells galore '''assailing''' his nostrils.

====Derived terms====
{{col-auto|en|unassailed|unassailing|unassailability|assailable|assailant|assailer|assailment|reassail|unassailed}}

====Related terms====
* {{l|en|assault}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|to attack violently}}
* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|нападам}}, {{t|bg|нахвърлям се}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn|攻擊|tr=gōngjí}}
* Czech: {{t+|cs|napadnout|pf}}, {{t+|cs|napadat|impf}}, {{t+|cs|zaútočit|pf}}
* Finnish: {{t|fi|käydä kimppuun}}
* French: {{t+|fr|assaillir}}
* Galician: {{t|gl|asaltar}}, {{t+|gl|atacar}}
* Gallurese: {{t|sdn|gjumpì}}, {{t|sdn|imbistì}}
* German: {{t+|de|angreifen}}
* Hungarian: {{t+|hu|megtámad}}, {{t+|hu|megrohan}}
* Italian: {{t+|it|assalire}}
* Japanese: {{t+|ja|襲撃|tr=しゅうげきする, shūgeki suru|alt=襲撃する|sc=Jpan}}
* Latin: {{t|la|īnstō}}, {{t|la|incessō}}
* Maori: {{t|mi|uruhi}}, {{t|mi|auta}}, {{t|mi|whakatorotoro}}
* Norman: {{t|nrf|assailli}}
* Occitan: {{t+|oc|assalir}}
* Portuguese: {{t+|pt|investir}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|напада́ть|impf}}, {{t+|ru|напа́сть|pf}}
* Sardinian:
*: Campidanese: {{t|sc|carrabusai}}, {{t|sc|carraxai}}, {{t|sc|imbistiri}}
*: Logudorese: {{t|sc|appiliare}}
* Sassarese: {{t|sdc|assarí}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|atacar}}, {{t+|es|asaltar}}, {{t+|es|aturdir}}
* Turkish: {{t+|tr|saldırmak}}, {{t+|tr|taarruz etmek}} {{gloss|obsolescent}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Anagrams===
* {{anagrams|en|a=aailss|Alissa}}

{{C|en|Violence}}