attack

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

I

n. assault, attack; seizure (See disease). —v. t. assail, assault, attack; affect, influence. Ant., defense.

II

Violent assault

Nouns

1. (human attack) attack; assault, assault and battery; onset, onslaught, charge; aggression, offense; incursion, inroad, invasion; counterattack, counteroffensive, surgical strike; irruption, outbreak; drive, push, sally, sortie, raid, foray; boarding, escalade; siege, investment, besiege-ment, beleaguerment; storm[ing]; bombing, strafing, air attack, air raid, preemptive strike, blitz[krieg], bombardment, barrage, cannonade; volley, fusillade, broadside; salvo; raking, crossfire; surprise or sneak attack, friendly fire. Informal, mugging. See warfare, combatant.

2. (personal attack) cut, thrust, lunge, pass; kick, punch; stoning. See impulse.

3. (attacking person) assailant, aggressor, offender, invader; pusher, go-getter. Informal, mugger.

Verbs

1. (military attack) attack, assault, charge, assail; counterattack; set or fall upon; raid; ambush; make or go to war (on or against), break a lance with, enter the lists, aggress; assume or take the offensive, strike the first blow, throw the first stone; lift a hand or draw the sword (against), take up the cudgels; march against or upon, invade; take by storm, blitz; harry, show fight.

2. (personal attack) strike (at), thrust at, hit, kick, slap, cut, pelt; take a punch, poke, or sock at; deal a blow (at), tee off at, lash out, fetch one a blow, fling oneself at or upon, lunge at, pounce upon; lace, lay, rip, light, sail, plow, tear, or pitch into, launch out against, go at or for; bait, slap on the face; make a pass at; bear down upon, close with, come to grips with, come to close quarters, bring to bay; rush, run, fly, or have at, ride full tilt against, let fly at, turn on; attack tooth and nail; press hard; run down, strike at the root of; lay about one, run amuck; gang up on or against. Informal, whale away. Slang, kick ass, blaze on; cuff; nuke. See impulse.

3. (attack with arms) fire at, shoot at, open up on; pepper, bombard, shell, pour a broadside into; open fire, fire a volley; beset, besiege, beleaguer; lay siege to, invest; sap, mine; storm, board, scale the walls; cut and thrust, bayonet, butt, batter; bomb, strafe, dive-bomb, blitz.

4. (be attacked) draw fire, be a sitting duck.

Adjectives

1. (being aggressive) attacking, aggressive, offensive, pushy; up in arms, on the warpath; forceful, belligerent, combative, warlike.

2. (being attacked) under attack or fire, under siege.

Adverbs — on the offensive; under attack, under siege.

Interjections — attack! charge! banzai! Geronimo!

Phrases — attack is the best form of defense.

Antonyms, See defense.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Offensive tactical action]

Syn. assault, raid, onslaught, advance, charge, thrust, lunge, offense, drive, strike, aggression, offensive, onset, irruption, outbreak, offensive military operation, push, storming, assailment, broadside, volley, sally, coup de main (French), shooting, barrage, bombardment, fusillade, cannonade, siege, firing, trespass, blockade, boarding, cross-fire, assailing, initiative, invasion, incursion, forced entrance, intrusion, intervention, increased presence, onrush, inroad, encroachment, counterattack.

Types of military attack include: commando raid, air strike, air raid, blitzkrieg, charge, sortie, foray, counterforce, siege, bombardment, bomb run, invasion, infiltration, encirclement, wave, pincer movement, strafing, fire mission, firing pass, low-level attack, mast-level attack, kamikaze, suicide attack, atomic thrust, nuclear armored thrust, torpedo attack, mechanized attack, amphibious landing, depth charge, shelling, banzai charge, mortar attack.

Ant. withdrawal, retreat*, defense.

2. [Verbal attack]

Syn. libel, slander, denunciation, censure; see blame 1 .

3. [Illness]

Syn. seizure, fit, bout, relapse; see fit 1 , illness 1 .

4. [Physical assault]

Syn. assault, mugging, rape; see crime 2 , rape .

v.

1. [To fight offensively; used of an army ]

Syn. assault, strike, invade, storm, advance, beset, besiege, beleaguer, infiltrate, take offensive action, raid, assail, encircle, march against, take the initiative, take the offensive, charge, fire at, shoot at, snipe at, come at, run at, shell, ambush, take by surprise, sally forth, make a push, bombard, bomb, go over the top, fall on, fall upon, burst upon, fire the first shot, fan out, mushroom out, lay siege to, open fire, bear down on, swoop down on, launch an attack, spring on, advance on, turn on, strafe, waylay, aggress, engage, tilt against, set upon, torpedo, stone, fire at, fire on, push, combat, attempt violence to, trespass against, launch an offensive, mount an offensive, begin hostilities against, take up arms against, rush, fusillade, barrage, strike the first blow, counterattack, enfilade, bayonet, saber, stab, pelt, blitz, pounce on, close with*, pepper*, rake*, light into*, sail into*, go for*, have at*, open up on*, let have it*.

Ant. retreat*, fall back, defend.

2. [To assault; used of an individual ]

Syn. assault, assail, combat, knock down, seduce, rape, punch, kick, molest, beat, hit, overwhelm, kiDNAp, strike, club, stab, knock unconscious, throw oneself on, throw oneself upon, lift a hand against, tackle, fly at, lay into*, tear into*, pitch into*, gang up on*, lower the boom on*, go for the jugular*, mug*, jump*; see also sense 1.

Ant. retaliate*, resist, fight back.

3. [To assail with words]

Syn. revile, denounce, criticize, blindside*; see censure .

4. [To proceed vigorously]

Syn. take up, deal with, set to work, start in on, undertake, come to grips with, set to, buckle down, tackle, plunge into*, dive into*, wade into*, tear into*.

Syn.- attack implies vigorous, aggressive action, whether in actual combat or in an undertaking [ to attack a city, to attack a problem ] ; assail means to attack by or as if by repeated blows or thrusts [assailed by reproaches ] ; assault implies a sudden, violent attack or onslaught and suggests direct contact and the use of force; beset implies an attack or onset from all sides [beset with fears ] ; storm suggests a rushing, powerful assault that is stormlike in its action and effect; bombard means to attack with artillery or bombs, and in figurative use suggests persistent, repetitious action [ to bombard a speaker with questions ]

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. assault offensive, raid, invasion, siege, ambush, blitz, aggression, strike, incursion, onslaught.

2. onset or recurrence of an illness bout, relapse, throe, seizure, convulsion, spell, turn for the worse.

II

v.

1. assault strike, jump on, raid, besiege, invade, ambush, assail, pounce on, molest, set upon, take the offensive, aggress, mug.

2. verbally assault *rip into, *tear apart, criticize, abuse, malign, bash, defame, scold, *rake over the coals, damn, censure, *dis, *jump down one's throat, impugn, *bad-mouth, denounce, revile.

3. to begin work on tackle, dive into, undertake, *jump into with both feet.

ANT.: 1. retreat, defend, lay low. 2. flatter, compliment, praise. 3. procrastinate, avoid

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To set upon with violent force: aggress, assail, assault, beset, fall on (or upon), go at, have at, sail into, storm, strike. Informal: light into, pitch into. See ATTACK. 2. To start work on vigorously: go at, sail in, tackle, wade in (or into). Idiom: hop to it. See WORK. II noun 1. The act of attacking: aggression, assailment, assault, attempt, offense, offensive, onrush, onset, onslaught, strike. See ATTACK. 2. A method used in dealing with something: approach, course, line, modus operandi, plan, procedure, tack, technique. See MEANS. 3. A sudden and often acute manifestation of a disease: access, fit2, seizure. Informal: spell3. See HEALTH.