1. (n.) A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.

2. (n.) A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.

3. (n.) An apparently violent attempt, or willful offer with force or violence, to do hurt to another; an attempt or offer to beat another, accompanied by a degree of violence, but without touching his person, as by lifting the fist, or a cane, in a threatening manner, or by striking at him, and missing him. If the blow aimed takes effect, it is a battery.

4. (n.) To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical violence or menaces.

5. (n.) To attack with moral means, or with a view of producing moral effects; to attack by words, arguments, or unfriendly measures; to assail; as, to assault a reputation or an administration.

abuse aggravated assault aggression ambush amphibious attack armed assault assail assailing assailment attack banzai attack barbarize batter battering battery bear bear upon beat up beating berating beset bitter words blackening blitz blitzkrieg boost breakthrough bruise brutalize buck bull bulldoze bump bump against bunt burn bushwhack butcher butchery butt butt against carry on censure charge citation come at come down on contumely counterattack counteroffensive coup de main crack down on cram crippling attack crowd dead set at descend on descend upon descent on destroy diatribe dig disorderliness diversion diversionary attack drive elbow execration fall on fall upon flank attack force forcible seizure frontal attack gang up on gas attack go at go for go on goad hammer hard words harm harry have at head-on attack hit hit like lightning hold-up hurtle hustle implication impugnment incrimination inculpation incursion infiltration invasion invective involvement jab jam jawing jeremiad jog joggle jolt jostle jump killing land on lay at lay hands on lay into lay waste laying waste light into lightning attack lightning war loot looting mass attack massacre maul megadeath molest molestation mug mugging nudge obstreperousness offense offensive onset onslaught overkill panzer warfare philippic pile drive pillage pillaging pitch into poke pounce upon pound press prod punch push rage raid ram ram down ramp rampage rant rape rating rattle rave revilement riot rioting roar ruin run run against run at rush sack sacking sail into sally savage screed set on set upon shake shock tactics shoulder shove slaughter smite sortie sow chaos sowing with salt storm stress strike surprise swoop down on take the offensive tamp tear tear around terrorize thrust tirade tongue-lashing unprovoked assault unruliness vandalize vilification violate violation vituperation wade into wreck