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

Her assailant then fatally shot himself along Highway 50, according to authorities. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Terry has been shoved over the railing by an unknown assailant, and is now bleeding out on the floor below. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Sam eventually escapes her assailants and seemingly stops Charlie from enduring further harm. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

An alleged assailant forced his way Sunday toward Democratic candidate Amy Acton at a county fair, officials and witnesses said. — Karen Tumulty, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 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