A fierce, sudden, and overwhelming attack or rush of something, like a wave of problems or an intense military assault.
From Dutch 'aanslag' (aan- 'on' + slag 'blow' or 'strike'). The word traveled into English through military contexts in the 1600s describing sudden violent attacks.
Onslaught combines Dutch and German roots both meaning 'blow' or 'strike'—it's a word that sounds like what it means, with that sharp 'on-SLAWT' sound mimicking the impact of something sudden and violent!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.