FreeScrabbleDictionary

assail

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
6
Words With Friends
7
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/əˈseɪl/

Definition of assail

2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. (figuratively, sometimes, transitive)To attack with harsh words or violent force.
    “Muggers assailed them as they entered an alley.”
    “Our ears were assailed by her joyous efforts on her new saxophone.”
    “With greedy force he gan the fort assayle, / Whereof he weend possesse soone to bee, / And win rich spoile of ransackt chastitee.”
    “[L]et us once again assail your ears, / That are so fortified against our story, / What we two nights have seen.”
    “"Unhappy woman!" he observed to himself as he walked down the platform of Templecombe station; "for the next six months or so those children will assail her in public with demands for an improper story!"”
See all 2 definitions

verb

  1. (figuratively, sometimes, transitive)To attack with harsh words or violent force.
    “Muggers assailed them as they entered an alley.”
    “Our ears were assailed by her joyous efforts on her new saxophone.”
    “With greedy force he gan the fort assayle, / Whereof he weend possesse soone to bee, / And win rich spoile of ransackt chastitee.”
    “[L]et us once again assail your ears, / That are so fortified against our story, / What we two nights have seen.”
    “"Unhappy woman!" he observed to himself as he walked down the platform of Templecombe station; "for the next six months or so those children will assail her in public with demands for an improper story!"”
  2. (figuratively, transitive)To overcome or successfully argue against; defeat.
    “"Yes," he said, half musing to himself, "I knew it must exist: the one explanation that accounts for everything and cannot be assailed. We have reached the bed-rock of truth at last."”
    “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.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English assailen, from Old French assaillir, assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assault.

Anagrams of assail

1 play · some not in Scrabble

Words you can make from assail

34 playable · top: ALIAS (5 pts)

Best play alias 5 points

5-letter words

6 words

4-letter words

8 words

3-letter words

11 words

2-letter words

8 words

Hooks

2 extensions · 1 front · 1 back

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