Standard Lemma guide

attacker

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /əˈtækɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ækə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 T AE1 K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Someone who attacks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One of the players on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: forward, striker, front man

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: player, person

3

noun

Meaning 3

someone who attacks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aggressor, assailant, assaulter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrongdoer, offender

Narrower terms: ambusher, avenger, retaliator, beast, wolf, savage, brute, wildcat, bludgeoner, bully, tough, hooligan, ruffian, roughneck, rowdy, yob, yobo, yobbo, harasser, harrier, iconoclast, marauder, predator, vulture, piranha, night rider, nightrider, raper, rapist, shedder, spiller, slasher, stabber, stoner, lapidator

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Italian a- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des- Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- Proto-Germanic *stikaną Proto-West Germanic *stekander. Old French atachier Old French destachier Middle French destacherbor. Italian distaccare Italian staccare Italian attaccarebor. French attaquerdeverb. French attaquebor. English attack Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English attacker From attack + -er.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: aanvaller — someone who attacks
  • Arabic: مُهَاجِم (muhājim) — someone who attacks
  • Catalan: atacant — someone who attacks
  • Czech: útočník — someone who attacks
  • Danish: angriber — someone who attacks
  • Dutch: aanvaller — someone who attacks
  • Finnish: hyökkääjä — someone who attacks
  • German: Angreifer — someone who attacks
  • German: Angreiferin — someone who attacks
  • Hindi: आक्रमणकारी (ākramaṇkārī) — someone who attacks
  • Hungarian: támadó — someone who attacks
  • Hungarian: támadó fél — someone who attacks
  • Icelandic: vígamaður — someone who attacks
  • Indonesian: penyerang — someone who attacks
  • Irish: ionsaitheoir — someone who attacks
  • Italian: attaccante — someone who attacks
  • Macedonian: напаѓач (napaǵač) — someone who attacks
  • Māori: kaituki — someone who attacks
  • Marathi: हल्लेखोर (hallekhor) — someone who attacks
  • Norwegian: angriper — someone who attacks
  • Polish: napastnik — someone who attacks
  • Polish: atakujący — someone who attacks
  • Polish: napadający — someone who attacks
  • Portuguese: agressor — someone who attacks
  • Portuguese: atacador — someone who attacks
  • Romanian: atacant — someone who attacks
  • Romanian: atacantă — someone who attacks
  • Romanian: atacator — someone who attacks
  • Russian: напада́ющий (napadájuščij) — someone who attacks
  • Russian: атаку́ющий (atakújuščij) — someone who attacks
  • Serbo-Croatian: нападач — someone who attacks
  • Serbo-Croatian: нападачица — someone who attacks
  • Serbo-Croatian: napadač — someone who attacks
  • Serbo-Croatian: napadačica — someone who attacks
  • Spanish: atacante — someone who attacks
  • Spanish: asaltante — someone who attacks
  • Spanish: agresor — someone who attacks
  • Swahili: mshambuliaji — someone who attacks
  • Swedish: angripare — someone who attacks
  • Ukrainian: напа́дник (napádnyk) — someone who attacks
  • Ukrainian: напа́дниця (napádnycja) — someone who attacks
  • Arabic: مُهَاجِم (muhājim) — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Armenian: հարձակվող (harjakvoġ) — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Catalan: atacant — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Czech: útočník — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Danish: angriber — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Finnish: hyökkääjä — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • German: Stürmer — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • German: Stürmerin — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Indonesian: penyerang — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Irish: ionsaitheoir — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Italian: attaccante — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Norwegian: angriper — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Norwegian: spiss — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Polish: napastnik — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Portuguese: atacante — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Romanian: atacant — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Romanian: atacantă — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Russian: напада́ющий (napadájuščij) — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Scottish Gaelic: cluicheadair-adhairt — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Spanish: delantero — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Swahili: mshambuliaji — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Swedish: anfallare — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Ukrainian: напа́дник (napádnyk) — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
  • Ukrainian: напа́дниця (napádnycja) — (soccer) movement of the team in possession of the ball
Real reading context

attacker in complete knowledge articles