assailant
assailant Lexical Profile
assailant Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who physically attacks or assaults another person.
"The witness provided the police with a detailed description of the unknown assailant."
One who strongly criticizes, challenges, or opposes a person, institution, or doctrine in speech or writing.
"Throughout his career, the philosopher remained a vocal assailant of authoritarianism and censorship."
• adjective
Attacking, assaulting, or making a hostile advance against someone or something (now rare or literary).
"The ancient fortress was engineered to withstand the fiercest assailant forces of the era."
• Rhymes for assailant
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Old French assaillant, the present participle of assaillir ('to attack'), which traces back to Vulgar Latin assalire ('to leap upon'), from Latin ad- ('to') and salire ('to leap').