What does “attack” mean?
- 1
verbto try to hurt someone or damage something using violence
The dog attacked a man in the park.
- 2
nouna violent act meant to hurt or damage
The attack happened late at night.
- 3
nouna sudden short period of illness
He had a heart attack last year.
Attack at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /əˈtæk/ · uh-TAK
How to use “attack” correctly
Use “attack on” with the noun: “an attack on the city”, not “an attack to the city”.
Common phrases with “attack”
- heart attack
- under attack
- panic attack
- launch an attack
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- assault
- strike
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- defend
- defense
“attack” is on these word lists
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