What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Assault vs Onfall - What's the difference?

assault | onfall |

As nouns the difference between assault and onfall

is that assault is a violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town while onfall is a falling on or upon; an attack, onset, or assault.

As verbs the difference between assault and onfall

is that assault is to attack, threaten or harass while onfall is to fall on or upon.

assault

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.
  • * Prescott
    • The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault .
  • * Shakespeare
    • Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.
  • A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.
  • (criminal, legal) An attempt to commit battery: a violent attempt, or willful effort with force or violence, to do hurt to another, but without necessarily touching his person, as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at him and missing him.
  • (singulare tantum, legal) The crime whose action is such an attempt.
  • An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm.
  • (singulare tantum, legal) The tort whose action is such an act.
  • (fencing) A non-competitive combat between two fencers.

    • Synonyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * antiassault * assault and battery * nonassault * reassault

    Coordinate terms

    * battery

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To attack, threaten or harass.

    • onfall

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A falling on or upon; an attack, onset, or assault.
  • *1906 , William Henry Fitchett, Wesley and his century: a study in spiritual forces'':
    • The onfall of the bishops had helped to wreck this possibility, [...]
  • *2004 , James Legge, The Shih King :
    • Along with your 'brethren, Get ready your scaling ladders, And your engines of onfall and assault, To attack the walls of Khung.
  • *2008 , Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company :
    • Six great land battles I count, with four upon the sea, and seven-and-fifty onfalls , skirmishes and bushments.
  • A fall of rain or snow.
  • The fall of the evening.

    • Verb

  • To fall on or upon.
  • *1889 , Harry Marshall Ward, Diseases of plants :
    • [...] have been formed and ripened in large numbers, especially on the shaded ower sides of the leaves, the mycelium is practically exhausted, and as these processes are completed towards the end of the summer, the leaf so onfalls .
  • *1992 , Edgar C. Polomé, Werner Winter, Reconstructing languages and cultures :
    • 'the temple caught fire from the onfallen lightning' [...]
  • *2008 , V. V. Adushkin, Ivan Nemchinov, Catastrophic events caused by cosmic objects :
    • Quasivertical and quasihorizontal faults filled with crushed rocks can substantially change the amplitude of a seismic wave behind the fault in comparison with the amplitude of an onfalling wave [...]
  • To assault.