attack

1 of 2

verb

at·​tack ə-ˈtak 

attacked; attacking; attacks

transitive verb

1

: to set upon or work against forcefully

attack an enemy fortification

2

: to assail with unfriendly or bitter words

a politician verbally attacked by critics

3

: to begin to affect or to act on injuriously

plants attacked by aphids

4

a

: to set to work on

attack a problem

b

: to begin to eat (food) eagerly

At the table he attacked his meal with such singleminded ferocity as to be, as Boswell put it, disgusting to those whose sensations were delicate.

—Donald R. DeGlopper

5

chess : to threaten (a piece) with immediate capture

intransitive verb

: to make an attack

They were unprepared when the enemy attacked.

attacker noun

plural attackers

attacker

2 of 2

noun

at·​tack·​er ə-ˈta-kər 

plural attackers

1

: one that makes an attack against another : one that attacks someone or something

There were narrow passageways and rooms everywhere, and facing the outside were gunports, from which the defenders of the castle could repel attackers.

—Sidney Sheldon, The Sands of Time, 1988

He's just been mugged in Central Park and she's frightened off his attackers with her tennis racquet.

—Ross Wetzsteon, Saturday Review, August 1981

A harassed cat may be undecided about whether to run from its attacker or stand and fight.

—Suzanne Hetts, Cat Fancy, January 1994

The fact that Agnew lashed back at his attackers in the press—and Mr. Nixon has not—did not go unnoticed in the White House.

—Roland Evans and Robert Novak, The Day, (New London, Connecticut), 10 Aug. 1973

Even if you've set a password, an enterprising attacker can just attack it with a cracking program.

—Bill Machrone, PC Magazine, 14 Dec. 1999

2

sports : a player in a team sport (such as soccer or lacrosse) assigned to an offensive position

… "dead-ball situations," when the ball is kicked from a fixed mark, and attackers and defenders dispose themselves to deal with it accordingly.

—Pete Davies, Twenty-Two Foreigners in Funny Shorts, 1994

Synonyms of attack

Verb

• assault
• raid
• storm
• strike

Choose the Right Synonym for attack

attack, assail, assault, bombard, storm mean to make an onslaught upon.

attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

Examples of attack in a Sentence

Verb

He attacked the guard with a knife.

Troops attacked the fortress at dawn.

The troops attacked at dawn.

People are attacking the mayor for breaking campaign promises.

The professor has been widely attacked for her position on the issue.

Did you see the way the kids attacked that pizza?

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Liverpool loanee’s focus on returning to Tannadice was to improve his final ball and decision-making in the attacking third. —Andy Jones, New York Times, 10 June 2026

The move to attack vital desalination plants comes in response, Iran said, to the United States striking two water tanks in the southern part of the country. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Videos shared on social media showed some fans clashing with police officers, and other videos captured apparent Knicks fans attacking San Antonio fans on the streets, ripping off their Spurs jerseys. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 9 June 2026

In a world where an AI hoax could easily be promulgated across social media, or in which conspiracy theorists would likely attack a real discovery, the protocols are intended to encourage best practice and safeguard astronomers when the media spotlight falls on them. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle French attaquer, from Old Italian *estaccare to attach, from stacca stake, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English staca

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing attack

• angle of attack
• anxiety attack
• attack dog
• banzai attack
• brain attack
• come under attack
• counter-attack
• go on the attack
• heart attack
• in attack
• nearly gave someone a heart attack
• on the attack
• panic attack
• plan of attack
• to come under attack
• transient ischemic attack
• under attack

Rhymes for attack

• aback
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback
• dieback

Kids Definition

attack

1 of 2 verb

at·​tack ə-ˈtak 

1

: to take strong action against

the dog attacked a skunk

2

: to use unfriendly or bitter words against

3

: to begin to cause something harmful or destructive to happen to

attacked by fever

4

: to start work on

attack a problem

attacker noun

attack

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or action of attacking : assault

2

: a beginning of work on something (as a problem or project)

3

: a spell of sickness

especially : one of a disease that is long-lasting or that tends to occur over and over again

Medical Definition

attack

1 of 2 transitive verb

at·​tack ə-ˈtak 

: to begin to affect or to act on injuriously

tumors attacked the kidneys

attacked by a fever

attack

2 of 2 noun

: a fit of sickness

especially : an active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease

Legal Definition

attack

noun

at·​tack

: an attempt to prove something invalid or incorrect especially through judicial procedures

made an attack on the will as not properly witnessed

specifically : an attempt to have the judgment of a court corrected or overruled

— collateral attack

: an attack on a judgment made during or by a proceeding brought for a different purpose see also habeas corpus ad subjiciendum at habeas corpus

— direct attack

: an attack on a judgment made in a proceeding (as an appeal) brought for the specific purpose of having the judgment corrected or overturned

attack verb