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

Syria has condemned an Israeli attack on the village of Beit Jinn, southwest of the country's capital Damascus, which officials said hit a civilian vehicle and left several people injured.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Palou said he would attack Sunday with intensity usually reserved for the Indianapolis 500 as he chases a fourth consecutive IndyCar season crown and fifth in six years.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The cells then alert the immune system to attack cancer cells carrying the pre-defined targets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Captain Martin Odegaard discussed in his programme notes how the silverware had given the team "more confidence" and said the mentality of the team is not to defend their title, but to attack it.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

An attack on Pearl Harbor is tantamount to a declaration of war.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

For security reasons, neither the government nor the National Cyber Security Centre, which deals with attacks on critical infrastructure, would give further details of the site affected.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Sweden has suffered other attacks at educational institutions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Historical records indicate that a small military garrison was stationed at the mission after British attacks on missions became more frequent in the early 1700s.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

Three new specials commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Publication of the Zimmermann telegram was followed by German U-boat attacks on four American ships, which were torpedoed without warning.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Harry's 2023 autobiography, "Spare", lifted the veil on his royal rifts, describing William as his "arch-nemesis" and alleging he physically attacked him in a blazing 2019 row about Meghan.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

Today, it might be worth identifying specific facilities that would be difficult to restart or replace, were they attacked, as candidates for undergrounding.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The Houthis, a Yemeni militia, reportedly attacked Saudi ships in the Red Sea on Monday.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Shakur was closely affiliated with Death Row, and the record company’s boss, Marion “Suge” Knight, was inside his car the night he was attacked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

“Well, if it wasn’t him and Mayhem, then who attacked the mountain?”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

He devoted nearly a fifth of his magnum opus to attacking the established quack system of mercantilism, which sought to maximize exports and minimize imports for the empty prize of a positive balance of trade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

His fellow Frenchman and PSG team-mate Bradley Barcola remains Liverpool's main target as they look to strengthen in the wide attacking areas before the transfer window concludes.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

We'll look at a team getting an attacking set-piece and adjust the position of the referee to get a beneficial angle.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Initially, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer barred U.S. planes and warships from using the island as a base for attacking Iran.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

It bounced up and down in its tube, attacking the scale.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

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