# attack /əˈtæk/ (US) · /ɐtˈæk/ (UK) Source: https://englishreference.com/word/attack Updated: 2026-06-19 ## Senses ### 1. physical violence noun · CEFR A2 an act of trying to hurt or kill someone using physical force. For teachers: a physical assault or offensive action intended to cause damage, injury, or death. - The army launched a surprise attack on the enemy base at midnight. - The suddenness of the aerial attack left the defending forces with little time to coordinate a meaningful counter-offensive. ### 2. strong criticism noun · CEFR B1 a strong verbal or written criticism of someone or their ideas. For teachers: a vigorous verbal or written attempt to detract from the credibility or worth of a person, policy, or idea. - The politician faced a personal attack from the newspapers this morning. - The senator's speech was a scathing attack on the government's failure to address rising inflation and housing costs. ### 3. medical episode noun · CEFR B1 a sudden start of an illness, like a heart attack or a panic attack. For teachers: the sudden onset or active episode of a disease or physiological condition. - He was rushed to the hospital after suffering a sudden heart attack. - The patient reported a history of asthma attacks that were typically triggered by high pollen counts during the spring months. ### 4. computing/security noun · CEFR B2 an attempt to break into a computer system or steal data. For teachers: a malicious attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in a computer network or system to gain unauthorized access. - The company's website was down for hours due to a cyber attack. - The security team identified a sophisticated phishing attack designed to harvest the login credentials of senior executives. ### 5. music/audio noun · CEFR C2 · Technical the way a musical note starts, or how fast a sound reaches its full volume. For teachers: the onset of a musical note or the time taken for an audio signal to reach its peak amplitude. - The drummer used special sticks to give the cymbals a sharper attack. - 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. ### 6. to use violence verb · CEFR A2 to try to hurt someone or something using physical force. For teachers: to apply violent force to a person or object with the intent to cause harm. - The dog will only attack if it feels that its owner is in danger. - The rebel forces planned to attack the supply convoy as it passed through the narrow mountain pass. ### 7. to criticize strongly verb · CEFR B1 to criticize someone or something very strongly in public. For teachers: to aggressively challenge or criticize a person, idea, or policy. - The report attacks the company for its poor safety record. - Opposition leaders were quick to attack the new tax proposal, calling it a burden on middle-class families. ### 8. to start a task verb · CEFR B2 to start dealing with a problem or a piece of work with a lot of energy. For teachers: to deal with a task or problem in a direct, energetic, or determined manner. - We need to attack this project immediately if we want to finish on time. - The team decided to attack the technical debt first, knowing that the legacy code would otherwise hinder future development. ### 9. for fighting adjective · CEFR B2 describes something designed or kept for fighting or protection. For teachers: intended for or used in confrontation or offensive operations. - The police used an attack dog to find the suspect hiding in the woods. - The military deployed several attack helicopters to provide close air support for the ground troops. ## Examples - The army launched a sudden attack at dawn. - Security experts warned that the website was vulnerable to a cyber attack if the software was not updated immediately. - While the physical attack was repelled by the fortress walls, the psychological impact of the siege began to erode the morale of the defending soldiers over the following weeks. --- From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.