Attack refers to the act of launching an assault or aggressive action against a person, place, or object, or to set upon a task with strong effort. It can describe military offensives, sudden onslaughts, or vigorous approaches to problems. In grammar, it can also function as a noun (an assault) or verb (to attack). The nuance often centers on intensity, timing, and target.
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"The army launched an attack at dawn, aimed at disabling the enemy's defenses."
"She made a frontal attack on the problem, breaking it down into smaller steps."
"The software update caused an attack on the system’s firewall, which prompted a rapid response."
"He warned that any hostile attack would be met with decisive retaliation."
The verb attack comes from the Old French attaque, from late Latin attaque, and ultimately from the Provençal atacar, from tackere (to aim at, attack) or tacare (to lay hold of). The root expresses a forceful approaching action, tracing to Latin tacere (to touch) in some theories, but primarily tied to Latin atttacare through Old French. In Middle English, attack took on a martial sense as warfare and sieges intensified. In modern English, its semantics broaden to nonviolent contexts like “attack a problem,” “attack a task,” though the core connotation remains a forceful approach and direct engagement. First known uses surface in the 13th-14th centuries, with military and sport-related applications expanding in the 15th-17th centuries, and metaphorical uses increasing through the 18th century onward.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "attack" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "attack" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "attack"
-ked sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounced uh-TAK, with primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU /əˈtæk/. The first vowel is a schwa, the second is a short open front unrounded vowel. Keep a tight jaw for the final /k/. Audio reference: listen for the quick, clipped second syllable after the initial weak vowel.
Common errors include over-pronouncing the first syllable (e.g., /eɪtækt/), adding extra syllables (e.g., /əˈtækt-ɪd/), or misplacing stress as /əˈtæk/ instead of /əˈtæk/. Correct by keeping the first syllable as a reduced vowel (schwa) and delivering a crisp /tæk/ with a tightened jaw and tongue touching the alveolar ridge.
In US, UK, and AU, the pattern is similar with /əˈtæk/; the main variation lies in vowel color and rhoticity. US and AU tend to be less vowel-rich and flatter, UK is slightly more clipped with a crisp /t/ and less vowel lengthening. Watch for rhoticity in connected speech: the vowel before /t/ remains schwa in most accents and the final /k/ remains sharp.
The difficulty lies in the abrupt /ə/ (schwa) then the hard /t/ followed by the voiceless /k/, a rare triplet in English that requires precise tongue positioning and air flow. Also, in rapid speech, the vowel can reduce too much, making it sound like /əˈtæk/ and the /t/ blends toward a tap. Practicing isolated syllables helps fix the sequence.
Is the /ə/ in attack truly silent in casual speech? No. It remains a reduced vowel that follows the stress pattern, acting as a quick, relaxed nucleus before the stressed /tæk/. Skipping it or swallowing it can create unnatural hesitation; keep the /ə/ light but audible to maintain natural rhythm.
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