Definitions for attack

Overview of noun attack

The noun attack has 9 senses? (first 6 from tagged texts)

1. (17) attack, onslaught, onset, onrush

((military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons); "the attack began at dawn")

2. (3) attack

(an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning")

3. (2) fire, attack, flak, flack, blast

(intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack"; "don't give me any flak")

4. (1) approach, attack, plan of attack

(ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation; "his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons"; "an attack on inflation"; "his plan of attack was misguided")

5. (1) attack, attempt

(the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last year"; "they made an attempt on his life")

6. (1) attack, tone-beginning

(a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase)

7. attack

(a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea")

8. attack

(the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent); "the film was sensitive to attack by acids"; "open to attack by the elements")

9. attack

(strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work")

Overview of verb attack

The verb attack has 6 senses? (first 5 from tagged texts)

1. (22) attack, assail

(launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week")

2. (9) attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault

(attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker")

3. (8) attack, aggress

(take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack")

4. (4) assail, assault, set on, attack

(attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly")

5. (1) attack

(set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task; "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed")

6. attack

(begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver"; "Rust is attacking the metal")