The Collaborative International Dictionary
Assail \As*sail"\ ([a^]s*s[=a]l"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assailed (-s[=a]ld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Assailing.] [OE. assailen, asailen, OF. asaillir, assailler, F. assaillir; a (L. ad) + saillir to burst out, project, fr. L. salire to leap, spring; cf. L. assilire to leap or spring upon. See Sally.]
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To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery.
No rude noise mine ears assailing.
--Cowper.No storm can now assail The charm he wears within.
--Keble. -
To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like.
The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail.
--Pope. -
To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like.
The papal authority . . . assailed.
--Hallam.They assailed him with keen invective; they assailed him with still keener irony.
--Macaulay.Syn: To attack; assault; invade; encounter; fall upon. See Attack.
Wiktionary
vb. (present participle of assail English)
Usage examples of "assailing".
Intelligence soon reached him, however, of the magnitude of the blow aimed by Lee, and, hastily breaking up his camps on the Rappahannock, he hurried to attack the force assailing his communications.
The Confederate artillery, however, opened promptly upon the assailing force, drove it back toward Chancellorsville, and Jackson proceeded on his march without further interruption.
Contrary to the ordinary course of things the assailing force had lost a less number of men than that assailed.
The men occupying the outer lines stood with their large shields locked together so closely that they made a strong rampart or shield fortress, behind which the archers and spearmen might remain in safety while assailing their advancing foes.
Suspecting a concerted movement among the hostages, by which they would cooperate with the assailing foe without, the officer in command of the fort gave orders to secure them with irons.
Suspecting a concerted movement among the hostages, by which they would cooperate with the assailing foe without, the officer in command of the fort gave orders to secure them with irons.
Kin assailing three musk oxen, hunters and hunted mired deep in mud, trapped, doomed to die.
Their rally point is the East Watch redoubtI want the siege engines assailing it neutralized, then any Gidrath survivors retrieved.
He was lost within the storm, his embrace incapable of closing around the sheer immensity of anguish assailing him.
A broad wedge that then began assailing the slope, hoofs striking sparks off the stones.