heart attack

noun

Definition of heart attack

: an acute episode of coronary heart disease marked by the death or damage of heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply to the heart usually as a result of a coronary artery becoming blocked by a blood clot formed in response to a ruptured or torn fatty arterial deposit

Note: Symptoms of heart attack include discomfort or pain in the chest, shoulder, arm, back, neck, or jaw, shortness of breath, dizziness or light-headedness, heartburn, nausea, excessive sweating, and extreme fatigue.

— called also myocardial infarction

Examples of heart attack in a Sentence

Her chest pains turned out to be caused by a minor heart attack. He died of a massive heart attack.

Recent Examples on the Web

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack and pulmonary edema by local authorities. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN, "Here are the 9 Americans reported dead in the Dominican Republic in the past year," 19 June 2019 Corcoran’s family said his cause of death was listed as a heart attack. — Joseph A. Gambardello, baltimoresun.com, "What we know about the deaths in the Dominican Republic of at least eight Americans, including two Marylanders," 19 June 2019 Of the recent deaths that have become publicly known so far, Dominican investigators said five were caused by a heart attack. — Fox News, "Oklahoma high school graduates fall ill during Dominican Republic trip, parent says," 18 June 2019 Two men used a fake heart attack to distract a cashier before robbing a store Sunday evening in Malden, officials said. — Sabrina Schnur, BostonGlobe.com, "Malden police search for unarmed robbers who faked heart attack as distraction," 18 June 2019 Bernie passed away due to heat stroke/heart attack. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, "'Seeking Sister Wife' star Bernie McGee has died at 41," 17 June 2019 My father died of a heart attack the week before classes began in 1974. — Ron Mccurdy With Cari Lynn, WSJ, "When My Father Stood Up For His Rights," 15 June 2019 The month after the indictment, Kohler died of a heart attack that looked, to many, to have been caused by shock. — Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, "“The Westing Game,” a Tribute to Labor That Became a Dark Comedy of American Capitalism," 13 June 2019 Her cause of death was listed as a heart attack that caused respiratory failure and fluid accumulation in her lungs, according to People. — Breanna Edwards, Essence, "Families Plan Their Own Autopsies For Maryland Couple Who Died In The Dominican Republic," 13 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heart attack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

22 Jun 2019

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The first known use of heart attack was in 1836

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More Definitions for heart attack

heart attack

noun

English Language Learners Definition of heart attack

: a sudden painful and dangerous condition in which your heart stops beating properly

See the full definition for heart attack in the English Language Learners Dictionary

heart attack

noun

Medical Definition of heart attack

: an acute episode of coronary heart disease marked by the death or damage of heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle usually as a result of a coronary artery becoming blocked by a blood clot formed in response to a ruptured or torn fatty arterial deposit

When a patient is in the throes of a heart attack, the physician's goal is restoring adequate blood flow to the starving heart muscle as swiftly as possible. — Harvard Medical School Health Letter, May 1993 It has long been known that aspirin helps prevent blood clots … and many studies have shown that the drug can reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes.— Peter Aldhous, Science, 7 Jan. 1994

— called also acute myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction

— compare angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, heart failure sense 1