Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of attack

37 similar words · 3 opposite words

Another word for attack is hit. Other synonyms of attack are spike, savage, abuse, aggress and assail. The opposite of attack is release.

Synonyms and similar words for attack

nounAny contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the...

  • hitAn attack on a location, person or people.
  • spikeAn attack from, usually, above the height of the net performed with the intent to send the ball straight to the floor...

verbTo apply violent force to someone or something.

  • savageTo attack or assault someone or something ferociously or without restraint.

verbMore synonyms

  • abuseTo attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to...
  • aggressTo set upon; to attack.
  • assailTo attack with harsh words or violent force.
  • assaultTo attack, physically or figuratively; to assail.
  • beatTo hit; to strike.
  • beleaguer
  • bepommel
  • besetTo assail or attack (someone) from all sides; to set about.
  • besiege
  • bombardTo continuously attack something with bombs, artillery shells or other missiles or projectiles.
  • chargeTo attack by moving forward quickly in a group.
  • come down on slangTo attack or harass (someone).
  • dust upTo attack (a person) physically; to beat up.
  • fall onTo attack (someone); to join an attack on (someone), especially a surprise attack.
  • fall uponTo set upon; to attack suddenly; to invade.
  • impugnTo assault, attack.
  • invadeTo attack; to infringe; to encroach on; to violate.
  • lay intoTo beat up or launch an attack against; to strike forcefully.
  • lay siegeTo attack continually over a long period.
  • let someone have itTo attack someone with great force.
  • light intoTo set upon or attack.
  • onfallTo assault, attack.
  • onset
  • overrun
  • pommelTo pound or beat.
  • pound
  • rushTo make a swift or sudden attack.
  • set the dogs upon
  • set uponTo attack someone.
  • storm
  • strike
  • strike at
  • wapTo beat; to whap.
  • whap

Opposite of attack

nounThe onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset.

verbMore antonyms

  • defendMostly in tests. The action of not putting force into hitting a shot, but to conserve energy and wear down bowlers so...

Meaning of attack

  1. noun An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.
  2. noun Any of several specific maneuvers, skills, or special abilities that a character can use to inflict damage against opponents.
  3. noun An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.

Full definition of attack

attack in other languages

Questions about synonyms of attack

What is another word for attack?
Attack has 37 synonyms on Word.ws, such as hit, spike, savage, abuse, aggress, assail, assault and beat.
What is the opposite of attack?
The opposite of attack is release.
What does attack mean?
Attack means an attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: attack (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of attack.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/attack. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.