French Conversation · Level 103
60 words
French word
agresser
Pronunciation
IPA/agʁese/
Meaning
- verbattack
Example
Il a essayé de m'agresser hier soir.
He tried to attack me last night.
More examples
Ils ont tenté de l'agresser dans la rue.
They tried to assault him in the street.
Core concept
A person presses directly against another person with force or threats, causing physical or moral harm.
Common phrases
agresser quelqu'un
assault someone
se faire agresser
be assaulted
Similar words
attaquer: To launch an attack against someone.
frapper: To strike someone's body with a hand or object.
bousculer: To jostle or shove someone off balance.
menacer: To threaten to harm someone.
Definition in French
Attaquer quelqu'un en lui causant un dommage physique ou moral, par des actes ou des menaces.
Word origin
Agresser derives from Latin aggredi, formed from ad, meaning 'toward', and gradi, meaning 'to step', with attack developing from the idea of advancing against someone.
Usage tips
- Agresser usually takes a direct object without a preposition, as in 'Il m'a agressé', while 'se faire agresser' expresses being attacked.