assails; assailed; assailing
: to attack or criticize (someone or something) in a violent or angry way
The movie was assailed by critics.
politicians assailed by the media
—often used figurativelyA horrible odor assailed our noses. [=we smelled a horrible odor]
We were assailed by doubts [=we were very doubtful] about the decision we'd made.
assailed by fears
Cite this Entry
“Assail.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/assail. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
