attack

[[t]ətæ̱k[/t]]

♦

attacks, attacking, attacked

1) VERB To attack a person or place means to try to hurt or damage them using physical violence.

[V n] Fifty civilians in Masawa were killed when government planes attacked the town...

[V n] He bundled the old lady into her hallway and brutally attacked her...

While Haig and Foch argued, the Germans attacked...

[V-ing] The infantry would use hit and run tactics to slow attacking forces.

N-VAR: usu with supp

Attack is also a noun.

...a campaign of air attacks on strategic targets... Refugees had come under attack from federal troops.

2) VERB If you attack a person, belief, idea, or act, you criticize them strongly.

[V n] He publicly attacked the people who've been calling for secret ballot nominations...

[V n for -ing] A newspaper ran an editorial attacking him for being a showman. [Also V n as n/adj]

N-VAR: usu with supp

Attack is also a noun.

The role of the state as a prime mover in planning social change has been under attack... The committee yesterday launched a scathing attack on British business for failing to invest.

3) VERB If something such as a disease, a chemical, or an insect attacks something, it harms or spoils it.

[V n] The virus seems to have attacked his throat...

[V n] Several key crops failed when they were attacked by pests.

N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl

Attack is also a noun.

The virus can actually destroy those white blood cells, leaving the body wide open to attack from other infections.

4) VERB If you attack a job or a problem, you start to deal with it in an energetic way.

[V n] Any attempt to attack the budget problem is going to have to in some way deal with those issues.

5) VERB In games such as soccer, when one team attacks the opponent's goal, they try to score a goal.

[V n] Now the US is controlling the ball and attacking the opponent's goal...

The goal was just reward for Villa's decision to attack constantly in the second half.

Derived words:

attacking ADJ-GRADED ADJ n

Manchester City will play a more attacking style of football.

N-COUNT

Attack is also a noun.

Lee was at the hub of some incisive attacks in the second half.

6) N-COUNT: with supp An attack of an illness is a short period in which you suffer badly from it.

It had brought on an attack of asthma.

7) → See also , heart attack