ENGLISH
REFERENCE

attack

n. · v. · adj.
US //əˈtæk// UK //ɐtˈæk// at·tack
  1. 1 physical violence (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    an act of trying to hurt or kill someone using physical force.

    a physical assault or offensive action intended to cause damage, injury, or death.

    Example

    The army launched a surprise attack on the enemy base at midnight.

    Example

    The suddenness of the aerial attack left the defending forces with little time to coordinate a meaningful counter-offensive.
  2. 2 strong criticism (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a strong verbal or written criticism of someone or their ideas.

    a vigorous verbal or written attempt to detract from the credibility or worth of a person, policy, or idea.

    Example

    The politician faced a personal attack from the newspapers this morning.

    Example

    The senator's speech was a scathing attack on the government's failure to address rising inflation and housing costs.
Show 7 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 medical episode (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Medicine

    a sudden start of an illness, like a heart attack or a panic attack.

    the sudden onset or active episode of a disease or physiological condition.

    Example

    He was rushed to the hospital after suffering a sudden heart attack.

    Example

    The patient reported a history of asthma attacks that were typically triggered by high pollen counts during the spring months.
  2. 4 computing/security (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    an attempt to break into a computer system or steal data.

    a malicious attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in a computer network or system to gain unauthorized access.

    Example

    The company's website was down for hours due to a cyber attack.

    Example

    The security team identified a sophisticated phishing attack designed to harvest the login credentials of senior executives.
  3. 5 music/audio (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Music

    the way a musical note starts, or how fast a sound reaches its full volume.

    the onset of a musical note or the time taken for an audio signal to reach its peak amplitude.

    Example

    The drummer used special sticks to give the cymbals a sharper attack.

    Example

    By adjusting the compressor's attack settings, the engineer was able to preserve the natural punch of the kick drum while controlling the overall peaks.
  4. 6 to use violence (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to try to hurt someone or something using physical force.

    to apply violent force to a person or object with the intent to cause harm.

    Example

    The dog will only attack if it feels that its owner is in danger.

    Example

    The rebel forces planned to attack the supply convoy as it passed through the narrow mountain pass.
  5. 7 to criticize strongly (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to criticize someone or something very strongly in public.

    to aggressively challenge or criticize a person, idea, or policy.

    Example

    The report attacks the company for its poor safety record.

    Example

    Opposition leaders were quick to attack the new tax proposal, calling it a burden on middle-class families.
  6. 8 to start a task (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to start dealing with a problem or a piece of work with a lot of energy.

    to deal with a task or problem in a direct, energetic, or determined manner.

    Example

    We need to attack this project immediately if we want to finish on time.

    Example

    The team decided to attack the technical debt first, knowing that the legacy code would otherwise hinder future development.
  7. 9 for fighting (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describes something designed or kept for fighting or protection.

    intended for or used in confrontation or offensive operations.

    Example

    The police used an attack dog to find the suspect hiding in the woods.

    Example

    The military deployed several attack helicopters to provide close air support for the ground troops.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Italian a- Proto-Indo-European *dews-? Proto-Indo-European *dus- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Latin dis- Old French des- Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- Proto-Germanic *stikaną Proto-West Germanic *stekander. Old French atachier Old French destachier Middle French destacherbor. Italian distaccare Italian staccare Italian attaccarebor. French attaquer French attaquebor. English attack Borrowed from French attaque, derived from the verb attaquer, from Italian attaccare (“to join, attach”) (used in attaccare battaglia (“to join battle”)), from Frankish *stakkijan (“to stick, stick to, attach”). Doublet of attach. Displaced native Middle English onresen, from Old English onrǣsan (“to attack”); and Middle English resinge (“an assault, attack”) (compare Old English onrǣs (“an attack”)).

Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference