Assail vs. Besiege

Assailverb

(transitive) To attack with harsh words or violent force.

‘Muggers assailed them as they entered an alley.’;

Besiegeverb

(transitive) To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.

Assailverb

To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery.

‘No rude noise mine ears assailing.’; ‘No storm can now assailThe charm he wears within.’;

Besiegeverb

To beleaguer, to vex, to lay siege to, to beset.

Assailverb

To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like.

‘The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail.’;

Besiegeverb

to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.

Assailverb

To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like.

‘The papal authority . . . assailed.’; ‘They assailed him with keen invective; they assailed him with still keener irony.’;

Besiegeverb

To beset or surround with armed forces, for the purpose of compelling to surrender; to lay siege to; to beleaguer; to beset.

‘Till Paris was besieged, famished, and lost.’;

Assailverb

attack someone physically or emotionally;

‘The mugger assaulted the woman’; ‘Nightmares assailed him regularly’;

Besiegeverb

surround so as to force to give up;

‘The Turks besieged Vienna’;

Assailverb

launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with;

‘Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II’; ‘Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week’;

Besiegeverb

cause to feel distressed or worried;

‘She was besieged by so many problems that she got discouraged’;

Assailverb

attack in speech or writing;

‘The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker’;

Besiegeverb

harass, as with questions or requests;

‘The press photographers besieged the movie star’;

Assailverb

make a concerted or violent attack on

‘the Scots army assailed Edward's army from the rear’;

Assailverb

(of an unpleasant feeling or physical sensation) come upon (someone) suddenly and strongly

‘she was assailed by doubts and regrets’;

Assailverb

criticize strongly

‘he assailed a group of editors for their alleged excesses’;