at|tack´er

at|tack «uh TAK», verb, noun, adjective.

–v.t.

1. to set upon to hurt; use force or weapons on; begin fighting against (someone): »

The dog attacked the cat.

2. Figurative. to talk or write against; set upon with hostile actions or words to injure or discredit: »

The candidate angrily attacked his opponent's record as mayor.

SYNONYM(S): criticize, blame.

3. to go at with vigor; begin to work vigorously on: »

The boy attacked his piano practicing. The hungry child attacked his dinner.

4. to act harmfully on: »

Fever attacked the man bitten by insects.

–v.i.

to make an attack; begin fighting: »

The enemy attacked at dawn.

–n.

1. the act of attacking or the condition of being attacked; assault: »

The enemy attack took us by surprise.

2. a sudden occurrence of something, such as illness, discomfort, or misgivings of conscience: »

My teacher had an attack of flu.

3. the offensive part in any active proceeding or contest.

4. the beginning of vigorous work or action on some task, problem, or other undertaking.

–adjective.

using hostile actions or words to injure or discredit: »

There will be two more debates and plenty more name calling, attack advertising and scare stories (Time). The Helms-Gantt race…provides a stark commentary on both the effectiveness—and the hollow core of the attack politics of the 1990's (New York Times Magazine).

╂[< French attaquer < Italian attaccare < same root word as attach]

–at|tack´a|ble, adjective.

–at|tack´er, noun.

Synonym Study transitive verb. 1, 2 Attack, assail, assault mean to set upon either with physical force or with words. Attack, the general word, emphasizes the idea of falling upon a person or enemy without warning, sometimes without cause, or of starting the fighting: »

Germany attacked Belgium in 1914. Figurative. The candidate attacked his opponent's voting record on environmental problems.

Assail means to attack with violence and repeated blows or continuous criticism: »

The enemy assailed our defense positions. Rip Van Winkle's wife assailed his drinking.

Assault means to attack suddenly with furious or brutal force, and suggests contact as in hand-to-hand fighting: »

In a rage he assaulted his neighbor with a stick. The mayor complained that he had been unfairly assaulted by those who demanded his immediate resignation.