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embate

onslaught

noun em-BAH-teh Rare
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Origin: From em- + batir (to beat), from Vulgar Latin battere.

Also means

battering

Usage Note

Embate denotes a sudden, violent blow or assault — the embate de las olas ('the battering of the waves') is its most canonical collocation. Figuratively it is used for powerful social or political pressures: el embate de la crisis ('the onslaught of the crisis'). It is always masculine and typically appears in the plural when describing repeated blows. Do not confuse with debate (debate), which is unrelated.

Examples

"El barco resistió los embates del temporal."

Natural Translation

The ship withstood the onslaughts of the storm.

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