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assail

verb
🔊/əˈseɪl/
🔊/əˈseɪl/
 (formal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they assail
🔊/əˈseɪl/
🔊/əˈseɪl/
he / she / it assails
🔊/əˈseɪlz/
🔊/əˈseɪlz/
past simple assailed
🔊/əˈseɪld/
🔊/əˈseɪld/
past participle assailed
🔊/əˈseɪld/
🔊/əˈseɪld/
-ing form assailing
🔊/əˈseɪlɪŋ/
🔊/əˈseɪlɪŋ/
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  1. assail somebody/something (with something) to attack somebody/something violently, either physically or with words攻击；袭击；抨击
    • His attacker assailed him with fierce blows to the head.攻击者用猛烈的打击向他袭来。
    • The proposal was assailed by the opposition party.提案遭到反对党的抨击。🔊🔊
    • (figurative) A vile smell assailed my nostrils.一股恶臭十分刺鼻。🔊🔊
    Topics War and conflictc2, Crime and punishmentc2
  2. [usually passive] to worry or upset somebody severely困扰；使苦恼
    • be assailed by something to be assailed by worries/doubts/fears为焦虑／疑虑／担心所困扰
    3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French asaill-, stressed stem of asalir, from medieval Latin assalire, from Latin assilire, from ad- ‘to’ + salire ‘to leap’; compare with assault.