attack Synonyms & Antonyms
What Is Another Word for Attack?
Instead of attack you can say hit or spike depending on the context. Words with the opposite meaning are decay and release.
Choose a meaning, then find a word that fits your sentence.
Attack as a Noun
An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy. Any of several specific maneuvers, skills, or special abilities that a character can use to inflict damage against opponents.
Any of several specific maneuvers, skills, or special abilities that a character can use to inflict damage against opponents.
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.
A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle.
The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations.
The beginning of active operations on anything.
Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry.
An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system.
birthday attack; denial-of-service attack
Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side.
Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net.
The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team.
The sudden onset of a disease or condition.
I've had an attack of the flu.
An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease.
The onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset.
The amount of time taken for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack).
The initial sensory impact of a wine.
Short for heart attack.
An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy.
Synonyms & similar words
Antonyms & near antonyms
(by extension) The beginning of active operations on anything.
Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry.
Synonyms & similar words
Antonyms & near antonyms
(audio) The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack).
Synonyms & similar words
Antonyms & near antonyms
Attack as a Verb
To apply violent force to someone or something.
This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened.
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.
To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.
To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon.
We’ll have dinner before we attack the biology homework.
To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket.
To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets.
To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly.
To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede.
To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders.
(Of a chemical species) To approach a chemical species or bond in order to form a bond with it.
Attack as an Adjective
Designed or kept for the purpose of confrontation.
attack dog, attack ad
Attack in a Sentence
They claimed the censorship of the article was an attack on free speech.
The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations.
Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry.
birthday attack; denial-of-service attack
I've had an attack of the flu.
This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened.
She published an article attacking the recent pay cuts.
We’ll have dinner before we attack the biology homework.
I attacked the meal with a hearty appetite.
attack dog, attack ad
Word Forms & Grammar
attack (plural attacks)
attack (third-person singular simple present attacks, present participle attacking, simple past and past participle attacked or (obsolete) attackt or (obsolete, dialectal) attackted)
attack (not comparable)
Words That Rhyme With Attack
Origin of Attack
Borrowed from French attaque, derived from the verb attaquer, from Italian attaccare (“to join, attach”) (used in attaccare battaglia (“to join battle”)), from Frankish *stakkijan (“to stick, stick to, attach”). Doublet of attach. Displaced native Middle English onresen, from Old English onrǣsan (“to attack”); and Middle English resinge (“an assault, attack”) (compare Old English onrǣs (“an attack”)).
Attack at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, verb, adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //əˈtæk// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Meaning | An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy. Any of several specific maneuvers… |
| Synonyms | hit and spike |
| Antonyms | decay and release |
| Plural | attacks |
| Verb forms | attacks, attacking, attacked |
Pronouncing Attack
The standard pronunciation of attack is //əˈtæk//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Attack: Your Questions Answered
Is attack a noun or a verb?
Attack is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb and an adjective.
What is the plural of attack?
The plural of attack is attacks.
What is the past tense of attack?
The past tense of attack is attacked. The present participle is attacking.