Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun attack

9 senses of attack

Sense 1
attack, onslaught, onset, onrush -- ((military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons); "the attack began at dawn")
       => operation, military operation -- (activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign); "it was a joint operation of the navy and air force")

Sense 2
attack -- (an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning")
       => turn, play -- ((game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play")

Sense 3
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")
       => criticism, unfavorable judgment -- (disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings; "the senator received severe criticism from his opponent")

Sense 4
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")
       => conceptualization, conceptualisation, formulation -- (inventing or contriving an idea or explanation and formulating it mentally)

Sense 5
attack, attempt -- (the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last year"; "they made an attempt on his life")
       => crime, offense, criminal offense, criminal offence, offence, law-breaking -- ((criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes")

Sense 6
attack, tone-beginning -- (a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase)
       => beginning, start, commencement -- (the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations")

Sense 7
attack -- (a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea")
       => affliction -- (a cause of great suffering and distress)

Sense 8
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")
       => degeneration, devolution -- (the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality)

Sense 9
attack -- (strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work")
       => criticism, unfavorable judgment -- (disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings; "the senator received severe criticism from his opponent")

Antonyms of verb attack

1 of 6 senses of attack

Sense 1
attack, assail -- (launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week")
       Antonym of defend (Sense 2)
      => defend -- (be on the defensive; act against an attack)

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb attack

6 senses of attack

Sense 1
attack, assail -- (launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week")
       => contend, fight, struggle -- (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant groups are contending for control of the country")

Sense 2
attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault -- (attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker")
       => knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart -- (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free")

Sense 3
attack, aggress -- (take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack")
       => act, move -- (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel")

Sense 4
assail, assault, set on, attack -- (attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly")

Sense 5
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")
       => get down, begin, get, start out, start, set about, set out, commence -- (take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now")

Sense 6
attack -- (begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver"; "Rust is attacking the metal")
       => affect -- (act physically on; have an effect upon; "the medicine affects my heart rate")