Definition
Meaning of 'attack'
Meaning of 'attack' (Webster Dictionary)
1. Attack 
[ n.]
- The act of attacking, or falling on with force or violence;
an onset; an assault; -- opposed to defense. [ n.]- An assault upon one's feelings or reputation with unfriendly or bitter words.
- A setting to work upon some task, etc.
- An access of disease; a fit of sickness.
- The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive action, by a chemical agent.
2. Attack [ v. i.]
- To make an onset or attack. [ v. i.]3. Attack [ v. t.]
- To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and
arms; to assault. [ v. t.]- To assail with unfriendly speech or writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by criticism or satire; to censure; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet.
- To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some object of labor or investigation.
- To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.
Meaning of 'attack' (Princeton's WordNet)
1. attack [ n]
[ n]Meaning (1):
- a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition
- a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition
Example in sentence:
- an attack of diarrhea
Meaning (2):
- the act of attacking
- the act of attacking
Example in sentence:
- attacks on women increased last year;
- they made an attempt on his life
Meaning (3):
- intense adverse criticism
- intense adverse criticism
Example in sentence:
- Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party;
- don't give me any flak;
- the government has come under attack
Meaning (4):
- strong criticism
- strong criticism
Example in sentence:
- he published an unexpected attack on my work
Meaning (5):
- ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation
- ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation
Example in sentence:
- an attack on inflation;
- his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons;
- his plan of attack was misguided
Meaning (6):
- (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
- (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
Example in sentence:
- the attack began at dawn
Meaning (7):
- the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent)
- the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent)
Example in sentence:
- open to attack by the elements;
- the film was sensitive to attack by acids
Meaning (8):
- an offensive move in a sport or game
- an offensive move in a sport or game
Example in sentence:
- they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning
2. attack [ v]
[ v]Meaning (9):
- launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
- launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
Example in sentence:
- Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II;
- Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week
Meaning (10):
- set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task
- set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task
Example in sentence:
- I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed
Meaning (11):
- begin to injure
- begin to injure
Example in sentence:
- Rust is attacking the metal;
- The cancer cells are attacking his liver
Meaning (12):
- attack in speech or writing
- attack in speech or writing
Example in sentence:
- The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker
Meaning (13):
- attack someone physically or emotionally
- attack someone physically or emotionally
Example in sentence:
- Nightmares assailed him regularly;
- The mugger assaulted the woman
Meaning (14):
- take the initiative and go on the offensive
- take the initiative and go on the offensive
Example in sentence:
- The Serbs attacked the village at night;
- The visiting team started to attack
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