assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt How to pronounce assailant (audio)
plural assailants
: a person who attacks someone violently
an assault by an unknown assailant
She could identify the assailant and his two accomplices, and she wanted to press charges.Jennifer Baumgardner
Detectives speculated that she may have been punched on the chin, perhaps knocked unconscious by her assailant.Joseph Wambaugh

Examples of assailant in a Sentence

the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His assailant ran off and a motive for the attack still isn’t clear as police continue searching for the suspect. Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025 The assailant had previously been investigated for weapons possession. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025 Since being revealed as Jade Cargill’s mystery assailant, Naomi has gone Super Saiyan as a dedicated Twitter troll, Quote Tweeting Jade with every click. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025 Leaving the Capitol in 1835, Jackson saw an assailant approach him with drawn pistols. Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assailant

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assailant was in 1523

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Legal Definition

assailant

noun
as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt How to pronounce assailant (audio)
: a person who commits criminal assault

More from Merriam-Webster on assailant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!