attack

An attempt to hurt a person or damage something.

• He survived a violent attack.
• The dog’s attack left her badly hurt.
• Police are investigating attacks on local shops.

How to use it: an attack on someone/something (The attack on the shop happened at night.)

Similar words: assault

Common phrases: violent attack, attack on someone, dog attack

Strong criticism intended to damage someone’s reputation or weaken an idea or right.

• His speech was an attack on the government.
• She faced personal attacks after the interview.
• They called the ban an attack on freedom.

How to use it: an attack on someone/something (The article contained an attack on her record.)

Similar words: criticism, assault

Opposites: praise

Common phrases: personal attack, verbal attack, attack on something

A military action in which soldiers try to defeat an enemy or take a place.

• The army launched an attack at dawn.
• Their attack forced the enemy to retreat.
• Several attacks on the bridge failed.

How to use it: an attack on something (They planned an attack on the enemy base.)

Similar words: assault, offensive

Opposites: defence

Common phrases: launch an attack, air attack, surprise attack

To try to hurt someone or damage something using force.

• The dog attacked him.
• Soldiers attacked the enemy camp at night.
• Why did they attack the bus?

Similar words: assault, strike

Opposites: defend

Common phrases: attack someone, attack a village, attack from behind

To criticize or blame someone very strongly.

• He attacked the manager’s behaviour.
• The newspapers attacked her for the mistake.
• She was attacked publicly by her opponents.

How to use it: attack someone for something (They attacked him for wasting public money.)

Similar words: criticize, condemn

Opposites: praise

Common phrases: attack someone verbally, attack someone for something, attack someone publicly, attack a policy

To try to destroy or seriously weaken something, often by speaking against it.

• The false claims attacked her reputation.
• His lawyers attacked the witness’s credibility.
• They used rumours to attack his character.

Similar words: undermine, assail

Common phrases: attack someone’s reputation, attack someone’s credibility, attack someone’s character

To start dealing with a task or problem with energy and determination.

• Let’s attack the hardest problem first.
• She attacked the cleaning with fresh energy.
• We can attack the remaining tasks tomorrow.

How to use it: attack something with something (He attacked the task with enthusiasm.)

Similar words: tackle, set about

Common phrases: attack a problem, attack a task, attack the homework

Trained, kept, or designed to fight, harm, or strongly criticize others.

• They trained an attack dog.
• An attack helicopter flew over the base.
• The candidate released several attack ads.

Common phrases: attack dog, attack helicopter, attack ad