attack

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: attach, attask, attock, attac

Antonyms: attach, attask, attock, attac

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. An [[attempt]] to cause [[damage]], [[injury]] to, or [[death]] of an opponent or enemy.
2. An attempt to [[detract]] from the [[worth]] or [[credibility]] of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by [[physical]], [[verbal]], [[emotional]], or other [[assault]].
3. A time in which one attacks; the [[offence]] of a [[battle]].
4. {{lb|en|informal|by extension}} The beginning of active operations on anything.
5. {{senseid|en|Q4071928}}{{lb|en|computing}} An attempt to [[exploit]] a [[vulnerability]] in a computer system.
6. {{lb|en|cricket}} [[collectively|Collectively]], the [[bowler]]s of a [[cricket]] [[side]].
7. {{lb|en|volleyball}} Any contact with the ball other than a [[serve]] or [[block]] which sends the ball across the [[plane]] of the net.
8. {{lb|en|lacrosse}} The three [[attackmen]] on the field or all the attackmen of a team.
9. {{lb|en|medicine}} The sudden [[onset]] of a [[disease]] or [[condition]].
10. An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease.
11. {{lb|en|music}} The [[onset]] of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset.
12. {{lb|en|acoustics}} The [[amount]] of time taken for the [[volume]] of an [[audio]] [[signal]] to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a [[snare]] drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave [[wash]]ing to shore would feature a slow attack).

Verb

1. {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[apply]] [[violent]] [[force]] to someone or something.
2. {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[aggressive]]ly [[challenge]] a person, idea, etc., with words (''particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar'').
3. {{lb|en|transitive}} To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.
4. {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[deal with]] something in a direct way; to set to work upon.
5. {{lb|en|transitive|cricket}} To [[aim]] balls at the [[batsman]]’s [[wicket]].
6. {{lb|en|intransitive|cricket}} To [[set]] a [[field]], or [[bowl]] in a [[manner]] [[design]]ed to get wickets.
7. {{lb|en|intransitive|cricket}} To [[bat]] [[aggressive]]ly, so as to [[score]] [[run]]s [[quick]]ly.
8. {{lb|en|soccer}} To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede.
9. {{lb|en|cycling}} To [[accelerate]] quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other [[rider]]s.
10. {{lb|en|physical chemistry}} (Of a chemical species) To approach a chemical species or bond in order to form a bond with it.

Adjective

1. Designed or kept for the purpose of confrontation.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.