assaultive
adjective
as·sault·ive
ə-ˈsȯl-tiv 
1
: of, relating to, or tending toward assault
assaultive behavior
2
: having an intense or abrasive effect on the senses or emotions
loud and assaultive music
assaultively
adverb
assaultiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of assaultive in a Sentence
with viciously assaultive prose the writer takes on her critics
Recent Examples on the Web
How many times, in the throes of his illness, had he been taken into custody by police, accused of lewd or assaultive behavior, and locked in psych wards, only to be let out within days?
—
Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
The prosecutor also argued the incident was not the first for Veney involving alcohol or assaultive behavior.
—Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
Among the offenses that don't qualify for a ticket and require an arrest are serious misdemeanors, assaultive crimes and offenses involving domestic violence.
—Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press, 1 Apr. 2021
Addi describes Konni as the leader of the gang, but Guðmundsson’s screenplay, so accurate at catching the assaultive language that is wielded like a defensive weapon even between close friends, puts Addi at its center: golden and good-looking, with something of a young Ryan O’Neal about him.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 24 Feb. 2022
That cliché has become an assaultive and overly programmed way of doling out The Hand Of Fate.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2023
Turfe said the majority of the youths in the facility are accused of serious assaultive crimes and are sometimes rival gang members, complicating the process of releasing kids from their rooms.
—Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 16 Dec. 2022
Surely all three of these works are meant to be ingratiating, not assaultive — with a bit more intellectual content to the Brahms.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 5 Apr. 2022
Samantha Morton plays Zelda Perkins, a former Miramax employee who, years before, ineffectually confronted Weinstein about his assaultive treatment of an assistant.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov. 2022
Omari Daniels, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
The prosecutor also argued the incident was not the first for Veney involving alcohol or assaultive behavior.
—Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
Among the offenses that don't qualify for a ticket and require an arrest are serious misdemeanors, assaultive crimes and offenses involving domestic violence.
—Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press, 1 Apr. 2021
Addi describes Konni as the leader of the gang, but Guðmundsson’s screenplay, so accurate at catching the assaultive language that is wielded like a defensive weapon even between close friends, puts Addi at its center: golden and good-looking, with something of a young Ryan O’Neal about him.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 24 Feb. 2022
That cliché has become an assaultive and overly programmed way of doling out The Hand Of Fate.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2023
Turfe said the majority of the youths in the facility are accused of serious assaultive crimes and are sometimes rival gang members, complicating the process of releasing kids from their rooms.
—Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 16 Dec. 2022
Surely all three of these works are meant to be ingratiating, not assaultive — with a bit more intellectual content to the Brahms.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 5 Apr. 2022
Samantha Morton plays Zelda Perkins, a former Miramax employee who, years before, ineffectually confronted Weinstein about his assaultive treatment of an assistant.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assaultive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Assaultive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assaultive. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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