From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishassaultas‧sault1 /əˈsɔːlt $ əˈsɒːlt/ ●●○ noun 1 SCC[countable, uncountable] the crime of physically attacking someone a case of robbery and assaultfor assault He was jailed for assault.sexual/indecent assault victims of indecent assaultassault on/against sexual assaults on women Several soldiers have been charged with assault.► see thesaurus at crime2 ATTACK[countable, uncountable] a military attack to take control of a place controlled by the enemyassault on an unsuccessful assault on the enemy lines The refugee camp came under assault again last night. a powerful assault rifle3 CRITICIZE[countable, uncountable] a strong spoken or written criticism of someone else’s ideas, plans etc SYN attackassault on an assault on the capitalist systemunder assault Traditional family values are increasingly under assault.4 TRY TO DO OR GET something[countable] an attempt to achieve something difficult, especially using physical forceassault on an assault on Mt Everest (=an attempt to climb it)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa violent assaultThe number of violent assaults in the city has reached an all-time high.a serious assaultLast year, serious assaults increased by 40%.a vicious/brutal assaultThe vicious assault happened outside the man’s home.a sexual/indecent assaultWomen who have suffered serious sexual assault are offered support and counselling.physical assaultThere have even been physical assaults on witnesses.a racial assaultThe four young Asian men were victims of a vicious racial assault.verbsbe charged with assaultHe ended up in court charged with assault.carry out/commit an assaultShe admitted to committing the assault.suffer an assaultThe lawyer claimed she was drunk when she suffered the assault.assault + NOUNan assault chargeHe’s in jail on an assault charge.an assault caseShe had to attend court as a witness in an assault case.
Examples from the Corpus
assault• Out of the darkness stepped four men with AK-47 assault rifles and Uzi submachine guns, Anaya said.• Assaults on public transportation workers have doubled in the last 10 years.• The Combined Fleet made plans for an assault on Midway Island.• The charges against the prisoner include criminal damage and assault.• a massive armed assault on the city• Painter cleared of bar assault charge A SELF-employed painter and decorator was yesterday cleared of assaulting the manager of a Harrogate bar.• Surgery, an obvious form of consensual assault, is also, understandably, permitted.• She served three years in prison for assault.• He was convicted of adultery and indecent assault.• He admitted 25 counts of indecent assault against two sisters and a brother between 1975 and 1981.• Just prior to our assault, they had fired 6,000 rounds of artillery and bombed it all morning.• The most highly skilled soldiers advocated rapid maneuver and quick assault when contact was made.• the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault within the home• Only a successful assault on the rebel's headquarters could have ended the civil war.• For medical treatment after the assault.• But the Gulf of California is closer than you think, and currently under assault by everything from pollution to poaching.charged with assault• Norman Roberts is also charged with assaulting the child.• An new investigation led to Ferrier's being charged with assault.• Xavier Hicks, model student, was being charged with assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a concealed weapon.• He had had a fight with the insurance inspector and ended up in court charged with Assault.• The victim was charged with obstruction, and the passenger travelling with him was charged with assault.• The princess was charged with assault and battery and unlawful interference with the operation of an aircraft.assault on• They made their assault on the south face of the glacier.assaultassault2 ●●○ verb [transitive] 1 ATTACKto attack someone in a violent way Two men assaulted him after he left the bar.sexually/indecently assault He was found guilty of indecently assaulting a student.► see thesaurus at attack2 EFFECT/INFLUENCE literary if a feeling, sound, smell etc assaults you, it affects you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or upset The noises and smells of the market assaulted her senses.3 CRITICIZEto strongly criticize someone’s ideas, plans etc4 to try to do something very difficult a task force to assault the problems→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
assault• An autopsy, however, found that she died of asphyxiation and had been sexually assaulted.• He assaulted a female flight attendant who refused to serve him more drinks.• In one case there were two 13-year-old girls, who had been sexually assaulted and left for dead.• She was kidnapped and sexually assaulted at gunpoint.• It seems as though we have conquered the traditional infectious diseases only to be assaulted by new ones.• In February 1991, two black students from the University of Maine were allegedly assaulted by nine white men.• I stepped into the room and was assaulted by the heat and noise.• These routes are assaulted every winter by climbers.• A short time later, a woman was assaulted in a nearby apartment.• A storekeeper was assaulted in an alley by eight youths.• He raised his eyebrows, waited.-Sir, he assaulted me.• Rootham and Thompson admitted assaulting Mr Griffiths.• Some supporters ran onto the field and assaulted the referee.• Ian Beckett, the deputy chief constable of Surrey, has been cleared of indecently assaulting two female colleagues.• The Senator was assaulted with abuse from angry demonstrators.sexually/indecently assault• Just hours after this drama, two girls ran away and reportedly were sexually assaulted.• Instead, she was put on probation for a year after admitting indecently assaulting four 15-year-old boys.• A driving examiner has been jailed for four months for indecently assaulting four women test candidates.• But, it was said, he took him to his flat and indecently assaulted him while two other men looked on.• The young man was found not guilty of indecently assaulting the 16-year-old schoolgirl by the jury after a three-hour retirement.• Eight of the paratroopers were found guilty of indecently assaulting the woman soldier.• Then the gunmen sexually assaulted the women.• Ian Beckett, the deputy chief constable of Surrey, has been cleared of indecently assaulting two female colleagues.Origin assault1 (1200-1300) Old French assaut, from Latin assaltus, past participle of assalire; → ASSAIL 