assail




Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2024 is:




assail • uh-SAIL  • verb
Assail has a number of meanings relating to violent or powerful confrontations. It can be a straightforward synonym of assault, as in "assailed by armed robbers," or it can mean "to oppose, challenge, or criticize harshly and forcefully," as in "citizens assailing the proposed changes." It can also mean "to trouble or afflict in a way that threatens to overwhelm," as in "assailed by fears." Assail can also apply to powerful perceptions: a smell that assails you, for example, is strongly noticeable and usually unpleasant. Occasionally, assail is used to mean "to encounter, undertake, or confront energetically," as in "with a deadline fast approaching, we assailed the project with renewed vigor."

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