Assault | Mean of assault in English Dictionary

/əˈsɑːlt/

• Noun
• the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically
1. He was accused of assault. = He was charged with assault. = Assault charges were brought against him.
2. She was wanted (by the police) for assault with a deadly weapon.
3. He was found guilty of sexual assault. [=the crime of touching someone in an unwanted sexual way]
• a violent physical attack
1. She was injured in a brutal assault.
• a military attack
1. They launched several air assaults [=attacks using airplanes] against the enemy.
2. They got ready for an enemy assault. [=an attack by the enemy]
3. The enemy has launched an assault on the city.
4. They saw the change as an assault on the values of their society.
5. They launched a fierce legal assault against the company.
6. The government is attempting an all-out/full-scale assault on the use of drugs.

• being attacked or criticized
1. The city is under assault from enemy troops.
2. He came under assault for his unusual beliefs. [=he was severely criticized for his unusual beliefs]
3. Their personal freedoms are (coming) under assault by the government.
• Verb
• to violently attack (someone or something)
1. He was arrested for assaulting a police officer.
2. She verbally assaulted one of her coworkers.
3. He had been sexually assaulted [=touched or hurt in a sexual way] as a young boy.
4. Enemy forces assaulted the city.
5. A terrible noise assaulted our senses. [=we heard a terrible noise]