| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack, usually with words |
| Synonyms: | abuse, assault, bash, berate, beset, blast, blister, bust, charge, come at, criticize, encounter, have at, impugn, invade, lambaste, lay into, malign, maltreat, molest, revile, set upon, trash*, vilify, work over |
| Notes: | to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms |
| Main Entry: | attack |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | assault physically |
| Synonyms: | advance, aggress, ambush, assail, assault, bash, bat, bean, beat, beset, besiege, biff, blast, blister, boff, bombard, boot, bop, brain*, bust, charge, chop down, clip, clock, club, combat, cook*, harm, hit, hurt, infiltrate, invade, jump, kick, knock block off, knock cold, knock for a loop, larrup, lay siege to, light into, molest, mug, overwhelm, pounce upon, punch, raid, rush, set upon, slog, soak, stab, storm, strike, take the offensive, turn on, wallop, whop |
| Antonyms: | aid, defend, protect, resist, retreat, shelter, shield, submit, support, surrender, sustain |
| Main Entry: | beleaguer |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harass, besiege |
| Synonyms: | annoy, badger, bedevil, beset, blockade, bother, gnaw, harry, nag, persecute, pester, plague, put upon, set upon, siege, storm, tease, vex, worry |
| Main Entry: | go for |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack |
| Synonyms: | assail, assault, launch at, run at, rush, rush upon, set upon, spring at |
| Antonyms: | surrender, yield |
| Main Entry: | lunge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pounce, dive for |
| Synonyms: | bound, burst, charge, cut, dash, drive, fall upon, hit, jab, jump, leap, lurch, pitch, plunge, poke, push, set upon, stab, strike, surge, thrust |
| Antonyms: | retreat |
| Main Entry: | mob |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | come upon by pushing; surround |
| Synonyms: | attack, cram, crowd, fill, hustle, jam, jostle, overrun, pack, riot, set upon, swarm, throng |
| Antonyms: | avoid, ignore, leave alone, shun |
| Main Entry: | strike |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devastate, affect |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggress, assail, assault, attack, beset, deal a blow, excruciate, fall upon, harrow, hit, invade, martyr, rack, set upon, smite, storm, torment, torture, try, wring |
| Notes: | to put up a tent is to pitch it; to take down a tent is to strike it |
| Antonyms: | not touch, pass up |
| Main Entry: | waylay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | intercept, ambush |
| Synonyms: | accost, ambuscade, assail, attack, box*, bushwhack, catch, hold up, jump, lay for, lie in wait, lurk, pounce on, prowl, set upon, skulk, slink, surprise, swoop down on |
| Antonyms: | allow, forward |
| Main Entry: | attack |
| Part of Speech: | noun, verb |
Related
Adjectives: |
aggressive, attacking, batterfanged, ictic, obsidional, offensive, petulcous, up in arms
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