attack

Noun

Noun

×

A word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea.

Plural

attacks

Verb

Verb

×

A word that expresses an action, state, or occurrence.

present (v1)

attack

past (v2)

attacked

past participle (v3)

attacked

present participle

attacking

3rd person singular

attacks

Noun

Noun

×

A word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea.

1. 1.An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.

   • From 1906 to 1960, there were forty-six recorded shark attacks, half of which were fatal.

2. 2.An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.

   • They claimed the censorship of the article was an attack on free speech.

3. 3.The beginning of active operations on anything.(informal)

   • Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry.

4. 4.A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle.

   • The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations.

Verb

Verb

×

A word that expresses an action, state, or occurrence.

1. 1.To apply violent force to someone or something.

   • This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened.
   • Yesterday, December seventh, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

2. 2.To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar).

   • She published an article attacking the recent pay cuts.
   • It was puzzling to read a column that claimed to be attacking me, yet espoused the main ideas in my article.
   • In its God-like prime, The Simpsons attacked well-worn satirical fodder from unexpected angles, finding fresh laughs in the hoariest of subjects.

3. 3.To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.

   • On the fourth of March he was attacked by fever.
   • Hydrofluoric acid […] attacks the glass.

4. 4.To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon.

   • I attacked the meal with a hearty appetite.
   • We’ll have dinner before we attack the biology homework.
   • He filled a basin with water, and, with an old brush and piece of sandsoap, attacked the stove.

Overall

Common· #753

By learning goal

Everyday conversation

Uncommon

General reading & writing

Common

Academic

Rare

Literature

Rare