assailant

/əˈseɪlənt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈseɪlənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈsā-lənt/ (ame, mw)

assailant — noun

  • assailantsingular
  • assailantsplural

1. a person who deliberately attacks someone, especially in a sudden or violent way

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person who deliberately attacks someone, especially in a sudden or violent way

例句

The police arrested Jamal's assailant within hours of the attack.

Gabriela could not identify her assailant because the alley was too dark.

identify her assailant

同義詞
  • attacker

    more common and less formal; can describe physical or verbal attacks

  • aggressor

    emphasises who started a fight or conflict, not necessarily who delivered a violent blow

  • mugger

    a specific type of assailant who robs people in a public place, usually using threat or violence

反義詞
  • victim

    the person who is attacked

  • defender

    a person who protects someone else from attack

文法句型

assailant of [noun phrase]

possessive + assailant

用法筆記

More formal than 'attacker'. Common in news reports, police statements, and courtroom contexts. When the attacker's identity is unknown, the word is often used with 'unknown' or without a gendered pronoun.

常見錯誤

❌The assassin attacked the politician at the rally.' (when no political motive).
✅The assailant attacked the politician at the rally.
💡'Assassin' means a person who murders for political reasons; 'assailant' is the correct word for a general violent attacker.
❌The police searched for the unknown assailant attacker.
✅The police searched for the unknown assailant.
💡'Assailant' already means attacker, so the word 'attacker' is redundant.