English noun: attack | |||
1. | attack (act) (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons) | ||
Samples | The attack began at dawn. | ||
Synonyms | onrush, onset, onslaught | ||
Broader (hypernym) | military operation, operation | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | banzai attack, banzai charge, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombardment, bombing, charge, counterattack, countermove, coup de main, diversion, diversionary attack, fire, firing, ground attack, incursion, penetration, strafe, strike, surprise attack | ||
Part holonym | assault | ||
Domain category | armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine | ||
2. | attack (act) an offensive move in a sport or game | ||
Samples | They won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | play, turn | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | counterattack, counterplay | ||
3. | attack (communication) intense adverse criticism | ||
Samples | Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party. The government has come under attack. Don't give me any flak. | ||
Synonyms | blast, fire, flack, flak | ||
Broader (hypernym) | criticism, unfavorable judgment | ||
4. | attack (act) ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation | ||
Samples | 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. | ||
Synonyms | approach, plan of attack | ||
Broader (hypernym) | conceptualisation, conceptualization, formulation | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | avenue | ||
5. | attack (act) the act of attacking | ||
Samples | Attacks on women increased last year. They made an attempt on his life. | ||
Synonyms | attempt | ||
Broader (hypernym) | crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offence, offense | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | assault | ||
6. | attack (act) a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase | ||
Synonyms | tone-beginning | ||
Broader (hypernym) | beginning, commencement, start | ||
7. | attack (state) a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition | ||
Samples | An attack of diarrhea. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | affliction | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | anxiety attack, apoplexy, cerebrovascular accident, convulsion, CVA, fit, flare, heart attack, hysterics, ictus, occlusion, paroxysm, raptus, seizure, spot, stroke, touch | ||
8. | attack (process) the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent) | ||
Samples | The film was sensitive to attack by acids. Open to attack by the elements. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | degeneration, devolution | ||
9. | attack (act) strong criticism | ||
Samples | He published an unexpected attack on my work. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | criticism, unfavorable judgment | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | aspersion, calumny, defamation, denigration, slander | ||
English verb: attack | |||
1. | attack (competition) launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with | ||
Samples | Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II. Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week. | ||
Synonyms | assail | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | contend, fight, struggle | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | beleaguer, besiege, blitz, bomb, bombard, bust, cannonade, circumvent, counterattack, counterstrike, gas, hem in, hit, invade, occupy, pelt, pepper, raid, storm, strafe, strike, submarine, surprise, surround, torpedo | ||
Verb group | aggress, attack | ||
Antonyms | defend | ||
2. | attack (communication) attack in speech or writing | ||
Samples | The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker. | ||
Synonyms | assail, assault, lash out, round, snipe | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | criticise, criticize, knock, pick apart | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | abuse, barrage, blackguard, blister, bombard, clapperclaw, claw, rip, rubbish, scald, shout, vitriol, whang, whip | ||
3. | attack (competition) take the initiative and go on the offensive | ||
Samples | The Serbs attacked the village at night. The visiting team started to attack. | ||
Synonyms | aggress | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | act, move | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | check, fork, harass, pin, tackle | ||
Verb group | assail, attack | ||
4. | attack (competition) attack someone physically or emotionally | ||
Samples | The mugger assaulted the woman. Nightmares assailed him regularly. | ||
Synonyms | assail, assault, set on | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | assault, bait, beset, blindside, bulldog, desecrate, dishonor, dishonour, jump, molest, outrage, outrage, profane, rape, ravish, reassail, rush, savage, set, set upon, sic, violate, violate | ||
5. | attack (change) set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task | ||
Samples | I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | begin, commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start, start out | ||
6. | attack (body) begin to injure | ||
Samples | The cancer cells are attacking his liver. Rust is attacking the metal. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | affect | ||