Inflected forms: as·sailed, as·sail·ing, as·sails 1. To attack with or as if with violent blows; assault. 2. To attack verbally, as with ridicule or censure. See synonyms at attack. 3. To trouble; beset: was assailed by doubts.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English assailen, from Old French asalir, asaill-, from Vulgar Latin *assalre, variant of Latin assilre, to jump on : ad-, onto; see ad– + salre, to jump; see sel- in Appendix I.
-s
l
re, variant of Latin assil
