To attack is to use force against someone or something in order to hurt, damage, or defeat them.
It comes from Old French *ataquer*, from a variant of *tacher* 'to fix, to nail'. The sense shifted to 'set upon, assault', as if fixing yourself violently onto an enemy.
We talk about 'attacking' problems or tasks too, which shows how war language sneaks into everyday life. That framing can be energizing, but it can also make everything feel like a fight, even when cooperation would work better.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.