What does assaulted mean?
"Assaulted" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "assault," meaning physically attacked, most commonly used to describe a person against whom violence was directed: a victim may be assaulted in the street, at work, or in their home. The word carries strong, grave connotations, appearing chiefly in news reports, legal proceedings, and police statements, which lends it a formal register even in ordinary conversation. In criminal law, its meaning is more precise and varies by jurisdiction: some systems distinguish assault (the threat or attempt of harm) from battery (actual physical contact), though everyday English rarely preserves this distinction. The word also extends figuratively to intense non-physical attacks, such as being assaulted by criticism or by overwhelming noise. Derived ultimately from Latin roots meaning "to leap upon" via Old French "assaut," it has been part of English since the medieval period and remains one of the standard verbs for describing acts of personal violence.
verb (past tense and past participle of "assault")Physically attacked or violently struck (a person); in law, also threatened or attempted physical contact in a way that causes the victim to fear immediate harm.
- (of a person) physically attacked or violently set upon.
- (legal) subjected to an act that created a reasonable fear of imminent harmful or offensive contact, whether or not physical injury occurred.
- (figurative) subjected to a fierce verbal attack or overwhelming onslaught, as of criticism, sound, or sensation.
"The security guard was assaulted while trying to stop the theft."
"She was assaulted outside the station on her way home from work."
"The critics assaulted his latest film with unprecedented ferocity."
In strict legal terms, you can be 'assaulted' without ever being touched — a credible raised fist can be enough.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of assaulted
The verb "assault," from which "assaulted" derives, entered Middle English from Old French "assault" (modern French "assaut"), itself from the Vulgar Latin *assaltus, related to Latin "assalire," meaning "to leap upon" or "attack" — from ad- (toward) plus salire (to leap). It has carried its core sense of violent attack since medieval times, originally often in military contexts before narrowing toward personal violence. Cognates include "assail" from the same Latin root, and "salient" and "result" also descend from "salire."
Related word forms
How assaulted is actually used
"Assaulted" is the past tense and past participle of "assault." In everyday use it strongly connotes violent crime, so it carries serious, formal connotations; figurative uses (e.g. "assaulted by noise") are common but should be clearly non-literal to avoid confusion. Legal definitions vary between jurisdictions — particularly between US states and UK law — regarding whether physical contact is required.
Easily confused with assaulted
"Assault" is the threat or attempt of physical harm, while battery is actual physical contact; "assaulted" refers specifically to the act of assault, though everyday usage often conflates the two.