attack

American  

[uh-tak] / əˈtæk /

verb (used with object)

• attacks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• attacked,
  past participle,  past
• attacking
  present participle

1. to set upon in a forceful, violent, hostile, or aggressive way, with or without a weapon; begin fighting with.

   He attacked him with his bare hands.

   Synonyms:

   charge, storm

   Antonyms:

   defend

2. to begin hostilities against; start an offensive against.

   to attack the enemy.

3. to blame or abuse violently or bitterly.

4. to direct unfavorable criticism against; criticize severely; argue with strongly.

   He attacked his opponent's statement.

   Synonyms:

   abuse, oppugn, impugn, censure

   Antonyms:

   defend

5. to try to destroy, especially with verbal abuse.

   to attack the mayor's reputation.

6. to set about (a task) or go to work on (a thing) vigorously.

   to attack housecleaning;

   to attack the hamburger hungrily.

7. (of disease, destructive agencies, etc.) to begin to affect.

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verb (used without object)

• attacks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• attacked,
  past participle,  past
• attacking
  present participle

1. to make an attack; begin hostilities.

noun

• attacks
  plural

1. the act of attacking; onslaught; assault.

   Synonyms:

   encounter, onset

   Antonyms:

   defense

2. a military offensive against an enemy or enemy position.

3. Pathology. seizure by disease or illness.

   an attack of indigestion.

4. the beginning or initiating of any action; onset.

5. an aggressive move in a performance or contest.

6. the approach or manner of approach in beginning a musical phrase.

attack British  

/ əˈtæk /

verb

1. to launch a physical assault (against) with or without weapons; begin hostilities (with)

2. (intr) to take the initiative in a game, sport, etc

   after a few minutes, the team began to attack

3. (tr) to direct hostile words or writings at; criticize or abuse vehemently

4. (tr) to turn one's mind or energies vigorously to (a job, problem, etc)

5. (tr) to begin to injure or affect adversely; corrode, corrupt, or infect

   rust attacked the metal

6. (tr) to attempt to rape

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noun

1. the act or an instance of attacking

2. strong criticism or abuse

   an unjustified attack on someone's reputation

3. an offensive move in a game, sport, etc

4. commencement of a task, etc

5. any sudden and usually severe manifestation of a disease or disorder

   a heart attack

   an attack of indigestion

6. ball games the players in a team whose main role is to attack the opponents' goal or territory

7. music decisiveness in beginning a passage, movement, or piece

8. music the speed with which a note reaches its maximum volume

9. an attempted rape

Usage

What is a basic definition of attack? Attack means to attempt to inflict harm with physical violence, to attempt to inflict harm with words, or to initiate a military offensive against another. Attack has many other senses as a verb and a noun. Attack means to engage in physical violence against something with the intent to cause physical harm, damage, or death. Attacking doesn’t have to result in harm, however. For example, a person may be attacked by bees but manage to escape before actually getting stung. Someone or something that attacks is an attacker.

• Real-life examples: A lion will attack with its claws and teeth. In the past, soldiers would attack each other with swords, axes, and other weapons. A scared person may attack a lamp thinking it is a burglar.
• Used in a sentence: Ashley relentlessly attacked the piñata with a broom handle.

Attack can also mean to try to harm someone verbally. In this sense, attack means to assault someone with criticism, insults, or harsh comments. The attempted harm would be to a person’s feelings, opinions, or arguments.

• Real-life examples: Politicians are often attacked by political opponents, critics, or even the media. Unfortunately, many people are often attacked by trolls and harassers on social media. Bad or unpopular ideas are often attacked for being impossible or foolish.
• Used in a sentence: The unpopular director was attacked on social media by fans of the movie franchise.

Attack is also used in both senses as a noun.

• Used in a sentence: I barely survived the alligator’s attack. The company president was outraged by the reporter’s attack on his integrity.

Attack can also mean to initiate acts of war or begin a military offensive. This sense can also be used as a noun.

• Real-life examples: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In 1863, General Robert E. Lee attacked the Union army at Gettysburg during the American Civil War. At the Battle of Thermopylae, almost 7,000 Greek soldiers attempted to resist the Persians’ attack.
• Used in a sentence: The United Nations was outraged by the country’s unprovoked attack of its neighbor.

Synonym Usage

Attack, assail, assault, molest all mean to set upon someone forcibly, with hostile or violent intent. Attack is the most general word and applies to a beginning of hostilities, especially those definitely planned: to attack from ambush. Assail implies vehement, sudden, and sometimes repeated attack: to assail with weapons or with gossip. Assault almost always implies bodily violence: to assault with intent to kill. To molest is to harass, to threaten, or to assault: He was safe, and where no one could molest him.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• attacker
  noun
• reattack
  verb
• attackable
  adjective
• attacking
  adjective
• nonattacking
  adjective
• postattack
  adjective
• proattack
  adjective
• unattackable
  adjective
• unattacked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• attacks
  plural

Participles

• attacking
  present
• attacked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• attack
  simple
• attacks
  simple
• have attacked
  perfect
• has attacked
  perfect
• am attacking
  progressive
• are attacking
  progressive
• is attacking
  progressive
• have been attacking
  perfect progressive
• has been attacking
  perfect progressive

Past

• attacked
  simple
• had attacked
  perfect
• was attacking
  progressive
• were attacking
  progressive
• had been attacking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will attack
  simple
• will have attacked
  perfect
• will be attacking
  progressive
• will have been attacking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of attack

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier atta(c)que, from Middle French atta(c)quer, from Italian attaccare “to attack”; cf. attach

Explanation

When you attack, you charge or advance violently. It's scary to watch a big dog attack a smaller dog. In the military, an attack is an advance of troops or the use of armed force against an enemy. When one little kid attacks another, there usually aren't any bombs or weapons involved, but the idea of force or hostility is the same. You might also attack an opponent in a game, or withstand a verbal attack from a classmate during a debate. The Italian source of attack is attacco, "an attack," from attaccare, "join battle."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

attack attacks attacked attacking

Barrister Paul Greaney KC said the chain's security policies at the time of the attack at its Maidenhead hotel in December 2022 were "not fit for the purpose of keeping guests safe".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Mohammad Hashim, a farmer, said he rushed to rescue residents after the pre-dawn attack.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

There has been no comment on the attack from Oman, or the United Arab Emirates, where the flight was boarded.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

“Like, the guys on the wing that know their assignment, we’re going to deploy them and they’re going to attack and they’re going to be aggressive,” Redick said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Leah went on the attack, savaging Ruth Culver’s reputation in the newspapers.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Afghanistan and Pakistan went to war earlier this year and, with no permanent resolution to security issues reached, there have been sporadic attacks since a March truce.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Panic attacks, freezing in crowds of people, quick temper," Gershkovich, 34, said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Piracy off the Somali coast fell sharply after 2011 following international naval operations, but attacks and hijackings have increased again in recent years.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Other attacks damaged an U.S. diplomatic and logistics hub at the Baghdad airport.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The reptile attacks again, but the Obayifo is quicker than expected.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was hailed as a "hero" on Thursday after fighting to retain control of a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight when his co-pilot allegedly attacked him, leaving him wounded but helping avert disaster.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

India’s embassy in Riyadh identified the pilot who was attacked as Smit Machchhar, calling him brave and saying he was receiving medical care.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Throughout the war however, it has attacked the region and seized land there.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

According to the fundraising website, Jeff Wilson was outside the couple’s home when he was suddenly attacked by a cinnamon bear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

Some of them joined what Dunmore called the Ethiopian Regiment, a force that ended up weakened by yellow fever, attacked by patriot soldiers, and chased from Virginia.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

The identity of the attacking co-pilot wasn’t immediately known.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The online response inspired her to quit her job and build a digital brand by attacking the workplace taboo of talking about salaries.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Immune cells that usually defend the body by attacking infected or foreign cells appear in unusually high numbers in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and related conditions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

It also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments usually pass, by attacking commercial vessels in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

“Water creatures attacking ships. Gargouilles, in some places, and a bridgi.”

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• ambush
• assail
• assault
• beat
• besiege
• blast
• bombard
• charge
• harm
• hit
• hurt
• infiltrate
• invade
• raid
• stab
• storm
• strike