attack

Pronunciation: /əˈtæk/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
  2. noun an offensive move in a sport or game
  3. noun intense adverse criticism

Etymology

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”)).

In classic literature

Synonyms

onslaught, onset, onrush

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
operation
Narrower (hyponyms)
bombing, penetration, surprise attack, ground attack, counterattack, banzai attack

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