assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt 

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

Synonyms of assailant

• attacker
• assaulter

Examples of assailant in a Sentence

the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant

Recent Examples on the Web

After being attacked by a knife-wielding assailant, he’s injected with mysterious chemicals, which grant him his shapeshifting powers. —Giana Levy, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026

Usman Rumirgo, a local ward official, said the assailants set several houses ablaze before leaving the area. —ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026

The caller said the assailant ran to a garage, then returned and stood by the victim in an apparent attempt to render aid. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026

Friends of Pierre responded by beating the assailant in retaliation, the chief said. —Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for assailant

• covalent
• divalent
• inhalant
• hexavalent
• monovalent
• multivalent
• pentavalent
• polyvalent
• tetravalent
• univalent

Legal Definition

assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt 

: a person who commits criminal assault