Assailants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who carry out violent acts against others with the intent to harm
2. Persons who launch aggressive actions aimed at causing injury or harm to others
3. Individuals who physically or verbally launch an offensive against someone else

Etymology: "Assailants" is the plural of "assailant," a noun for someone who attacks another. It passed into English from Old French "assaillant," the present participle of the verb "assaillir," which itself came from Late Latin "assalīre." That Latin verb was built from "ad," meaning "to" or "towards," and "salīre," meaning "to jump," so at its root it describes leaping at something. The image of a sudden leap toward a target survives in the English verb "assail," which the noun is formed from by adding the suffix "-ant." The verb has kept its sense of forceful, sudden attack, whether physical, verbal, or otherwise, and the noun simply names the person doing the attacking.

Synonyms: attackers, assaultants, aggressors, invaders, perpetrators

Antonyms: victims, defenders, protectors, guardians, saviors