1. (noun)attack, onslaught, onset, onrush (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
"the attack began at dawn"
2. (noun)attack an offensivemove in a sport or game "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"
3. (noun)fire, attack, flak, flack, blast intense adverse criticism "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack"; "don't give me any flak"
4. (noun)approach, attack, plan of attack ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation "his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons"; "an attack on inflation"; "his plan of attack was misguided"
5. (noun)attack, attempt the act of attacking
"attacks on women increased last year"; "they made an attempt on his life"
7. (noun)attack a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition "an attack of diarrhea"
8. (noun)attack the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent)
"the film was sensitive to attack by acids"; "open to attack by the elements"
9. (noun)attack strong criticism "he published an unexpected attack on my work"
10. (verb)attack, assail launch an attack or assault on; beginhostilities or startwarfare with
"Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"
11. (verb)attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault attack in speech or writing "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"
12. (verb)attack, aggress take the initiative and go on the offensive "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack"
13. (verb)assail, assault, set on, attack attacksomeone physically or emotionally
"The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly"
14. (verb)attack set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"
15. (verb)attack begin to injure
"The cancer cells are attacking his liver"; "Rust is attacking the metal"
Definition of 'attack'
