assail-v; 2 Senses

Sense Number 1: Attack in a physical or mental manner.

Examples:
The mugger assailed the woman.
Nightmares assailed him regularly.
Hitler assailed Poland on September 1, 1939.
Serbian forces assailed Bosnian villages.

Mappings:
VerbNet: judgment-33.1-1
FrameNet: Attack
PropBank: assail.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 2

Sense Number 2: Combat in speech or writing, through a speech or writing medium.

Examples:
The editors assailed the new House Speaker in print.
The author assails Neoliberalism in his new novel.
She assailed her ex from every street corner.

Mappings:
VerbNet: judgment-33.1-1
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: assail.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3