Смысл: assails

assail[əʹseıl]
v
<Í> 1. 1) наступать, атаковать, нападать внезапно и яростно
the fortress was assailed on all sides - крепость была атакована со всех сторон
we were assailed by a violent hailstorm - нас застиг сильный град
2) одолевать, мучить
to be assailed with /by/ doubts - мучиться сомнениями
he was assailed by fears - им овладели страхи
3) забрасывать, засыпать
he was assailed with questions - его забросали /засыпали/ вопросами
2. нападать, резко критиковать, высмеивать
to assail smb. with epigrams - высмеивать кого-л. в эпиграммах
3. решительно, с жаром браться за дело, набрасываться (на работу и т. п.)
he assailed the difficulty with eagerness - он ринулся на преодоление трудностей

sails Идиома

knock the wind out of his sails

cause him to slow down, cause him to quit, knock him down a peg (see knock you down a peg) If you tell him his letter is full of errors, you'll knock the wind out of his sails.

take the wind out of one's sails

Idiom(s): take the wind out of one's sails

Theme: CHALLENGE

to challenge someone's boasting or arrogance. (Informal.)
• John was bragging about how much money he earned until he learned that most of us make more. That took the wind out of his sails,
• Learning that one has been totally wrong about something can really take the wind out of one's sails.

take the wind out of one's sails|sail|sails|take|w

v. phr. To surprise someone by doing better or by catching him in an error. John came home boasting about the fish he had caught; it took the wind out of his sails when he found his little sister had caught a bigger one. Dick took the wind out of Bob's sails by showing him where he was wrong.
Compare: TAKE THE STARCH OUT OF².

trim one's sails

trim one's sails
Modify one's stand, adapt to circumstances, as in His advisers told him to trim his sails before he alienated voters and bungled the election completely. This metaphoric expression alludes to adjusting a ship's sails to take full advantage of prevailing winds. [Late 1700s]

sails Идиома

knock the wind out of his sails

take the wind out of one's sails

take the wind out of one's sails|sail|sails|take|w

trim one's sails

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