(v. t.) To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery.
(v. t.) To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like.
(v. t.) To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like.
Example Sentences:
(1) In confidence rape, the assailant is known to some degree, however slight, and gains control over his victim by winning her trust.
(2) Preliminary murder charges have been lodged against two men – both students at Islamic religious schools, who were arrested at the scene after being overpowered by bystanders – and against a third assailant who fled and has yet to be found, an officer said.
(3) The assailant was from another part of Afghanistan and had been working in Khost province for about a year, he said.
(4) "While the state security forces in some instances intervened to prevent violence and protect fleeing Muslims, more frequently they stood aside during attacks or directly supported the assailants, committing killings and other abuses," said an HRW report released on Monday.
(5) Supportive mothers (n = 71) believed that the child was telling the truth and that the assailant was primarily responsible.
(6) In the second, the two assailants pleaded guilty this week at Brighton crown court; one was given a two-year conditional discharge and another awaits sentencing.
(7) Didier Enrique “Electric” Ramirez was apprehended for his alleged role in the killing of Nelson García , 39, who was shot dead earlier this month by at least two assailants following a dispute with local landowners, authorities said in a statement.
(8) Parameters shared by two or more criminal acts allegedly committed by the same assailant were compared with the same parameters recorded from 50 or 100 other mutually independent criminal acts committed by other known assailants.
(9) "Just this week I'm assailed mightily for going after Islam and had been for a very long time before that."
(10) Up to three assailants were still inside the British Council building fighting against Afghan security forces and Nato troops, Kabul police spokesman Hashmatullah Stanikzai said.
(11) Such swagger would look naïve and unreflexive now, in a country assailed by anxiety about its own impotence in the world.
(12) Assailants were usually adolescent and young adult men of the same race; however, 43% of children less than 5 years of age were killed by women.
(13) The mean age at time of assault was 21.7 years and the mean number of assailants was 2.8.
(14) Unknown assailants attacked Mustafa Barghouti, the leader of the Palestinian National Initiative.
(15) The assailant was a women in 61 pc of cases, a man in 35 pc of cases and a child in the remainder.
(16) It is concluded that social heredity, heavy consumption of alcohol and emotional dependence on the male assailant are major reasons for the woman's inability to break away from a relationship characterized by repeated battering.
(17) The assailant later admitted the assault after being shown the video footage and was jailed for five months in February.
(18) The attack marks the latest flaring of political violence in the deeply polarised kingdom, where months of anti-government rallies have been marred by sporadic gun and grenade attacks by unknown assailants.
(19) The threat of transmission of HIV was used by the assailant in 16 cases and sexually transmitted diseases, presumed consequent upon the attack, were found in 5 (18%).
(20) Before the criminal law was enacted, California allowed victims to sue their virtual assailants, but that is an expensive and time-consuming option.
Hoot
Definition:
(v. i.) To cry out or shout in contempt.
(v. i.) To make the peculiar cry of an owl.
(v. t.) To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts; to follow with derisive shouts.
(n.) A derisive cry or shout.
(n.) The cry of an owl.
Example Sentences:
(1) Just a whisper between us, its about time some of the old guard got a hoot under their perch.
(2) Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the first minister accused Cameron of not caring "two hoots about the NHS in Wales" and using it to make political points.
(3) You couldn’t make it up, could you?” He hoots with derisive laughter.
(4) Lawrence, according to Foster, is variously "ballsy", "a spritely tomboy", "a hoot" and "a gem with a killer stare".
(5) In the meantime, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are awash with people forwarding the information, sharing links to foreign websites, expressing opinions – and utterly ignoring those who are making pathetic attempts to turn back the clock to a time before WikiLeaks, and before bloggers who don't give two hoots about the censor."
(6) But not one female Galloway voter I spoke to in Bradford this week seemed to give two hoots about what he gets up to in his private life.
(7) Quite splendidly, she shows no sign of giving a hoot.
(8) There is almost no question that doesn't earn a wail or a hoot.
(9) The Labour leader even forgot to mention the deficit in his conference speech , the Conservatives will hoot – tax cuts at the ready – so Labour can’t be trusted with the nation’s finances.
(10) Then, he took me to task for things other people had told me about him, hooting uproariously at the notion that any of them was in a position to talk about him.
(11) Purves said she was not upset with the Telegraph and would not want to censor anybody, adding that Marchessini is a "hoot" who writes her endless rude letters.
(12) He talks about "helping people now while putting public finances on track for the future" and "providing support and protection to families and businesses when they need it most", but a reference to "living within our means" sparks hooting from the Tories.
(13) But Fleur is also a novelist, and one day her manuscript of Warrender Chase goes missing ... Sir Quentin's selectively incontinent aged mother is an unforgettable creation; Fleur herself (whose resilient refrain is "I went on my way, rejoicing") is a hoot.
(14) Be Free and Chatpot are delightful rhythm games on delicate sax motifs, distant hoots and synthesised vocals, set against Seb Rochford’s clappy drum grooves or soft clatters; the snappy rimshots and lazy tenor-shruggings of They’re All Ks and Qs Lucien are irresistible all the way to their finale.” What they said: “I wanted for there to be a strong rhythmic drive that propels it, and then sometimes for there to be the feeling of pure space.” – Tom Herbert.
(15) Questions concerning which coach had meant most to Smith was hooted off court by all except the conscientious interpreters, who went through question and formal reply in all three languages.
(16) I don’t want to get strong, but I want to be definitive about that.” “The recommendation was made by people who didn’t give a hoot about politics,” added Comey.
(17) You may find bitterns making their basso profundo hoot, or you could see otters, dragonflies and adders.
(18) she hoots at her gulping husband, woggle quivering with horror.
(19) Meanwhile, Howard Shapiro of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes "One Man, Two Guvnors is the hoot of the season" .
(20) We know that some Lib Dem backbenchers will defy whatever instructions they are given and vote against, but if the frontbench are voting with the government, then it doesn't matter a hoot how many of their backbenchers defy the whips.