assaultive

adjective

as·​sault·​ive ə-ˈsȯl-tiv How to pronounce assaultive (audio)
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

Example Sentences

with viciously assaultive prose the writer takes on her critics
Recent Examples on the Web 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 Unlike Tár, whose heroic arrogance and dry cruelty leaps off the screen with assaultive realism, Max’s presence felt almost parodic. WIRED, 16 Nov. 2022 Judge Kathleen Galen sentenced Kabacinski to 12 months of probation with conditions, including anger management classes and no similar conduct or assaultive behavior, in addition to $1,055 in fines and costs. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 20 Sep. 2022 The difference is that those filmmakers have mostly moved on from this kind of assaultive bloodbath, which pummels you into numbness with its onslaught of glib dark comedy, escalating carnage and over-the-top gore. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Aug. 2022 That’s partly because punk, with its assaultive immediacy and defiant not-niceness, now seems like the quintessence of the pre-digital world. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 July 2022 This could feel more assaultive than hearing them separately. New York Times, 17 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assaultive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assaultive was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near assaultive

Cite this Entry

“Assaultive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assaultive. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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