The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - attackv.

1) assail, assault, fall or set or pounce upon; charge, rush, raid, strike (at) , storm; engage (in battle) , fight; Colloq mug, jump: They were attacked on their way home by a gang of boys. Helicopter gunships were sent out to attack the bunker. 2) criticize, censure, berate; abuse, revile, inveigh against, denounce, condemn, malign, denigrate, decry, disparage, deprecate, vilify: His article attacked the minister for his views on housing. 3) begin, start; approach, undertake: We attacked the meal with gusto. 4) affect, seize; infect: Rheumatism attacks young and old alike. 5) waste, devour, destroy, eat; erode, corrode, decompose, dissolve: Termites have attacked the beams of the house. Watch how the acid attacks the areas on the plate that have not been protected. --n. 6) assault, onset, offensive, onslaught, incursion, raid, strike, inroad, invasion: The enemy responded to our attack with a smokescreen. After capturing the pawn, Karpov launched an attack on the queen. 7) criticism, censure; abuse, denunciation, revilement, denigration, decrial, disparagement, deprecation, vilification: The quarterly's attack is totally uncalled for. 8) seizure, spell, spasm, paroxysm; fit, bout: Preston has had another attack of gout. How do you stop an attack of hiccups? 9 destruction, wasting; erosion, corrosion: Noting the attack on the planks by shipworm, the surveyor declared the vessel unseaworthy. Aluminium will not withstand the attack of the salt air in this area.