assailant

Language: en

🇬🇧 /əˈseɪlənt/ 🇺🇸 /əˈseɪlənt/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A person who physically attacks another person; an aggressor or attacker.; A person who verbally attacks or criticizes another; one who assails with words or arguments.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: assailants

Collocations

unknown assailantarmed assailantlone assailantthe assailant fledidentified the assailant

Derivatives

assailassailableassailment

Synonyms

attackeraggressorassaultermuggerraider

Antonyms

defenderprotectorvictim

Commonly confused

assassin
EN: 'Assassin' specifically refers to someone who murders for political or financial motives; 'assailant' is any person who physically attacks another.
assail
EN: 'Assail' is the verb meaning to attack; 'assailant' is the noun referring to the person who attacks.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember 'assailant' has double 's' and ends with '-ant' (not '-ent'). It is derived from the verb 'assail' + the agent suffix '-ant'.

💬 Examples

  1. The police were unable to identify the assailant who struck the victim from behind.

  2. The politician's assailants in the press questioned his motives relentlessly.