attack

[uh-tak] /əˈtæk/
verb (used with object)
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.
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.
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.
verb (used without object)
8.
to make an attack; begin hostilities.
noun
9.
the act of attacking; onslaught; assault.
10.
a military offensive against an enemy or enemy position.
11.
Pathology. seizure by disease or illness:
an attack of indigestion.
12.
the beginning or initiating of any action; onset.
13.
an aggressive move in a performance or contest.
14.
the approach or manner of approach in beginning a musical phrase.
Origin
1590-1600; earlier atta(c)que < Middle French atta(c)quer < Italian attaccare to attack, attach
Related forms
attackable, adjective
attacker, noun
nonattacking, adjective
postattack, adjective
proattack, adjective
reattack, verb
unattackable, adjective
unattacked, adjective
Synonyms
1. storm, charge. 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. 4. censure; impugn, oppugn, abuse. 9. onset, encounter.
Antonyms
1, 4. defend. 9. defense.
Examples from the web for attack
  • What remained however, was his lyricism, searing tone and sense of attack.
  • At various points, fear of a first strike attack existed on both sides.
  • This increased soviet fears that nato was planning an attack.
  • attackers attack, and defenders either dodge or parry the attack.
  • In fact, everything points to a sudden, violent heart attack.
  • When attacking large prey, coyotes attack from the rear and the flanks of their prey.
  • There is currently only one recorded fatal attack on a human.
  • They attack with medieval weapons, such as broadswords and halberds.
  • One of them wields chains, allowing for a short ranged attack.
  • Every significant politician and political act had satires to attack it.
British Dictionary definitions for attack

attack

/əˈtæk/
verb
1.
to launch a physical assault (against) with or without weapons; begin hostilities (with)
2.
(intransitive) to take the initiative in a game, sport, etc: after a few minutes, the team began to attack
3.
(transitive) to direct hostile words or writings at; criticize or abuse vehemently
4.
(transitive) to turn one's mind or energies vigorously to (a job, problem, etc)
5.
(transitive) to begin to injure or affect adversely; corrode, corrupt, or infect: rust attacked the metal
6.
(transitive) to attempt to rape
noun
7.
the act or an instance of attacking
8.
strong criticism or abuse: an unjustified attack on someone's reputation
9.
an offensive move in a game, sport, etc
10.
commencement of a task, etc
11.
any sudden and usually severe manifestation of a disease or disorder: a heart attack, an attack of indigestion
12.
(ball games) the attack, the players in a team whose main role is to attack the opponents' goal or territory
13.
(music) decisiveness in beginning a passage, movement, or piece
14.
(music) the speed with which a note reaches its maximum volume
15.
an attempted rape
Derived Forms
attackable, adjective
attacker, noun
attacking, adjective
Word Origin
C16: from French attaquer, from Old Italian attaccare to attack, attach, from estaccare to attach, from staccastake1; compare attach
Word Origin and History for attack
v.

c.1600, from French attaquer (16c.), from Florentine Italian attaccare (battaglia) "join (battle)," thus the word is a doublet of attach, which was used 15c.-17c. also in the sense now reserved to attack. Related: Attacked; attacking.

n.

1660s, from attack (v.). Cf. Middle English attach "a seizure or attack" (of fever), late 14c.

attack in Medicine

attack at·tack (ə-tāk')
n.
An episode or onset of a disease, often sudden in nature.

at·tack' v.