assault

/əˈsɔːlt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈsɔːlt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈsȯlt/ (ame, mw) · /əˈsɒlt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈsɑːlt/ (ame, ipa)

assault — noun

1. a sudden, forceful attack — usually by soldiers on a place they want to capture,

1.名詞C2
釋義

a sudden, forceful attack — usually by soldiers on a place they want to capture, or by one group fighting another with weapons or fists.

例句

Allied troops launched a dawn assault on the German bunker at Pointe du Hoc.

launch + an assault on + [target]

The rebels prepared for a final assault on the presidential palace.

assault on + [building/target]

同義詞
  • attack

    more general; 'attack' can be planned or sudden, while 'assault' suggests force and aggression

  • offensive

    a larger military campaign rather than one violent action

  • raid

    a quick attack to grab something or cause damage, then leave

反義詞
  • defence

    the opposite role — protecting against the attack

  • retreat

    moving away from rather than toward the enemy

文法句型

assault on/upon + noun

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'on' or 'upon' plus a person, place, or building. The military reading often pairs with verbs like 'launch', 'mount', or 'lead'.

常見錯誤

❌The army made an assault to the city.
✅The army made an assault on the city.
💡use 'on' (or 'upon'), not 'to', after 'assault'.

2. a serious, focused try at reaching a hard goal — for example, climbing a high mo

2.名詞
釋義

a serious, focused try at reaching a hard goal — for example, climbing a high mountain, breaking a sports record, or winning a top prize.

例句

The team began their assault on Everest from the south side in early May.

assault on + [mountain]

Zane is making a serious assault on the world hundred-metre record this season.

make + an assault on + [record]

同義詞
  • attempt

    neutral and very common; 'assault' adds drama and a sense of struggle

  • bid

    shorter and often used in news writing; 'a bid for the title'

  • push

    informal; suggests one final hard effort

文法句型

assault on + noun

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'on' plus the difficult goal — a peak, a record, a title, or a leadership position. Unlike sense 1, no real fighting is involved; the word borrows the energy of attack to describe ambitious effort.

常見錯誤

❌She made an assault for the world record.
✅She made an assault on the world record.
💡the goal follows 'on', not 'for'.

3. the crime of hurting someone with your body, or threatening to hurt them in a wa

3.名詞
釋義

the crime of hurting someone with your body, or threatening to hurt them in a way that makes the person fear immediate harm — for example, raising a fist or grabbing a stranger by the collar.

例句

Hadiya was charged with assault after the fight outside the bar on Saturday night.

charged with + assault

Ana reported the assault to the police the following morning.

report + the assault

同義詞
  • battery

    in legal English, 'battery' specifically requires unwanted physical contact; 'assault' can be just the threat

  • mugging

    a street attack where the goal is to steal from the victim

文法句型

assault on + person

charged with assault

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this is the legal label for the act, especially in court reports and police statements. In US and UK law, an 'assault' can be only a credible threat, while 'battery' requires actual physical contact. The crime sense is often uncountable ('charged with assault'); a single attack on one person is countable ('an assault on a child').

常見錯誤

❌The man was arrested for an assault.
✅The man was arrested for assault.
💡when naming the type of crime, drop 'an'.
❌He committed an assault to the cashier.
✅He committed an assault on the cashier.
💡the victim follows 'on', not 'to'.

assault — verb