attack

/əˈtæk/
noun
  1. An act of violence intended to hurt someone or damage something.
    • The attack on the embassy shocked the world.
    • The dog's attack left the mail carrier with minor injuries.
    • The army launched a surprise attack at midnight.
  2. Strong criticism or negative comments directed at someone or something.
    • Her speech was a direct attack on the government's policies.
    • He faced a series of attacks from the media.
    • The article was an unfair personal attack on the actor.
  3. A sudden, short period of illness or strong emotion.
    • She had a panic attack during the exam.
    • I felt an attack of sadness when I heard the news.
    • His asthma attack required immediate medical attention.
verb
  1. To use violence or force to try to hurt someone or damage something.
    • A swarm of bees attacked the hikers.
    • The dog attacked the intruder in the yard.
    • Soldiers attacked the enemy camp at dawn.
  2. To criticize someone or something strongly and harshly.
    • She attacked the plan as being too expensive.
    • Newspapers attacked the company for polluting the river.
    • The politician attacked his opponent's record during the debate.
  3. To begin working on a problem or task with energy and determination.
    • The team attacked the problem from a new angle.
    • We need to attack this project before the deadline.
    • He attacked the pile of homework with enthusiasm.
Antonyms
What does "attack" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean