The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - assault n.

1) attack, onslaught, onset, charge, offensive, blitzkrieg, blitz, strike, raid, incursion, sortie; aggression, invasion: At dawn we launched the assault on the fort. 2) beating, battering, hold-up, mugging; rape, violation, molestation; Law battery: The defendant is accused of assault. --v. 3) attack, assail, set or fall upon, pounce upon, storm, beset, charge, rush, lay into: The elderly couple were assaulted near their home. 4) rape, violate, molest: Three women were assaulted in that neighbourhood last night. 5) beat (up) , batter, bruise, harm, hit, strike, punch, smite: She complained that her husband continually assaulted the children.