attacking
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.trying to hurt someone or something with physical force.
v.the act of using physical violence or force against a person, place, or entity.
Simple“The guards were attacking the castle gates with heavy tools.”
In context“Witnesses reported seeing the group attacking the storefront during the riot, though the police arrived before any serious damage occurred.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
v.trying to score points or goals in a game.
v.the act of moving forward or playing aggressively to score against an opponent.
Simple“Our team spent the whole second half attacking the other team's goal.”
In context“By attacking the wings rather than the centre, the team managed to bypass the opponent's dense defensive line.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.starting to deal with a difficult task with a lot of energy.
v.addressing a problem, task, or situation with vigorous or determined effort.
Simple“She is attacking her pile of homework so she can go out later.”
In context“The research team is attacking the data from several different angles to ensure the final conclusion is robust.”
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
adj.describing a person or group that is trying to score or win.
adj.characterising a player, position, or strategy focused on offensive action rather than defence.
Simple“The coach put more attacking players on the field to try and win the game.”
In context“The manager's attacking philosophy was evident in the way the full-backs were encouraged to push high up the pitch.”
Usage attacking midfielder
From attack + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.