attack

[ uh-tak ]

/ əˈtæk /

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See synonyms for: attack / attacked / attacking / attacks on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

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.

to begin hostilities against; start an offensive against: to attack the enemy.

to blame or abuse violently or bitterly.

to direct unfavorable criticism against; criticize severely; argue with strongly: He attacked his opponent's statement.

to try to destroy, especially with verbal abuse: to attack the mayor's reputation.

to set about (a task) or go to work on (a thing) vigorously: to attack housecleaning; to attack the hamburger hungrily.

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

verb (used without object)

to make an attack; begin hostilities.

noun

the act of attacking; onslaught; assault.

a military offensive against an enemy or enemy position.

Pathology. seizure by disease or illness: an attack of indigestion.

the beginning or initiating of any action; onset.

an aggressive move in a performance or contest.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR attack

1 storm, charge.

4 censure; impugn, oppugn, abuse.

9 onset, encounter.

See synonyms for attack on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR attack

1, 4 defend.

9 defense.

See antonyms for attack on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of attack

1590–1600; earlier atta(c)que<Middle French atta(c)quer<Italian attaccare to attack, attach

synonym study for attack

1. 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 WORDS FROM attack

at·tack·a·ble, adjectiveat·tack·er, nounnon·at·tack·ing, adjectivepost·at·tack, adjective

pro·at·tack, adjectivere·at·tack, verbun·at·tack·a·ble, adjectiveun·at·tacked, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use attack in a sentence

Should a bad actor be interested in damaging vaccine distribution, they could stage an attack on the temperature control systems in place.
How bad actors could sabotage a COVID vaccine—and how that can be prevented|jakemeth|November 18, 2020|Fortune
The attacks could result in delayed development of these desperately needed vaccines or in the theft of vaccine-related data.
Hackers are trying to disrupt and steal COVID-19 vaccine research|Aaron Pressman|November 13, 2020|Fortune
Hartmann, and many cybersecurity experts, believe it’s only a matter of time before an attack against hospitals causes such a tragedy.
Ransomware did not kill a German hospital patient|Patrick Howell ONeill|November 12, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Murray says he’s “scared to death” about the possibility of contracting the coronavirus because he’s at high risk due to a COPD diagnosis and his past heart attack.
How the pandemic got people smoking again|Melinda Fakuade|November 12, 2020|Vox

Researchers captured microscope images of an attack in the meninges of mice that was led by plasma cells that had likely been trained in the guts.
Protecting the brain from infection may start with a gut reaction|Aayushi Pratap|November 11, 2020|Science News
There is a particular focus in the magazine on attacking the United States, which al Qaeda calls a top target.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It drains your body of nutrients and vitamins, attacking the central nervous system and leaving you in a dehydrated, hazy state.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Perry" chimed in: "They don't want to take blame," he said of the police union attacking De Blasio.
Justice League Vigil for Slain NYPD Officers Asks Whose Life Matters|Olivia Nuzzi|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then dons a Spider-Man costume and savagely starts attacking criminals.
Exclusive: Sony Hack Reveals Studio's Detailed Plans For Another ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“When you attack public sector unions now, you are attacking the heart of the U.S. labor movement,” says Dine.
The GOP and Police Unions: A Love Story|Eleanor Clift|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A full third of the attacking force lay on the ground, dead or grievously wounded.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The attacking guns threw heavier shot and had a longer range than the Spanish artillery.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Bruce taunted them for attacking with arrows, three to one, and they chivalrously threw down their bows and drew their swords.
King Robert the Bruce|A. F. Murison
The insurgents were under cover the whole time, and their assembled thousands could hardly be seen by the attacking columns.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
We have had fighting enough, Heaven knows, but we felt that by ‘doing’ he meant ‘attacking,’ not ‘defending.’
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for attack

attack

/ (əˈtæk) /

verb

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

(intr) to take the initiative in a game, sport, etcafter a few minutes, the team began to attack

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

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

(tr) to begin to injure or affect adversely; corrode, corrupt, or infectrust attacked the metal

(tr) to attempt to rape

noun

the act or an instance of attacking

strong criticism or abusean unjustified attack on someone's reputation

an offensive move in a game, sport, etc

commencement of a task, etc

any sudden and usually severe manifestation of a disease or disordera heart attack; an attack of indigestion

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

music decisiveness in beginning a passage, movement, or piece

music the speed with which a note reaches its maximum volume

an attempted rape

Derived forms of attack

attackable, adjectiveattacker, nounattacking, adjective

Word Origin for attack

C16: from French attaquer, from Old Italian attaccare to attack, attach, from estaccare to attach, from stacca stake 1; compare attach

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

attack

OTHER WORDS FOR attack

OPPOSITES FOR attack

Origin of attack

synonym study for attack

OTHER WORDS FROM attack

Words related to attack

How to use attack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for attack

Derived forms of attack

Word Origin for attack