counter-attack

count·er·at·tack
UK/ˈkaʊn.tər.əˌtæk/US/ˈkaʊn.tɚ.əˌtæk/UK/ˌkaʊn.tər.əˈtæk/US/ˌkaʊn.tɚ.əˈtæk/

noun

An attack made in response to an attack by the opponents

Similar
counter-offensive
Opposite
counter-time
OriginEnglish attack ← French attaque ← Italian attaccare →
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Meanings

nouncounter-attack (plural counter-attacks)

plural counter-attacks · alternative counterattack

  1. An attack made in response to an attack by the opponents

    Liverpool should really have taken the lead on 33 minutes. A lightning quick counter-attack was led by Jordan Henderson down the right.

    2012 August 23, Alasdair Lamont, “Hearts 0-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2022

    Synonyms: counter-offensive

verbcounter-attack (third-person singular simple present counter-attacks, present participle counter-attacking, simple past and past participle counter-attacked)

present singular third person counter-attacks · participle present counter-attacking · participle past counter-attacked · past counter-attacked · alternative counterattack

  1. To attack in response to an attack by opponents.

    Taking a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, the New Haven counter-attacked with vigour.

    1959 September, “Talking of Trains: Attack and counter-attack”, in Trains Illustrated, page 405

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn attack made in response to an attack by the opponents

Similar
counter-offensive
Opposite
counter-time
Also see
counter-offensive

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  13. Proto-Italic*ad
  14. Proto-Italic*ad-
  15. Latinad-
  16. Italiana-
  17. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  18. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  19. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  20. Proto-Italic*dis-
  21. Latindis-
  22. Old Frenchdes-
  23. Old Frenchatachier
  24. Old Frenchdestachier
  25. Middle Frenchdestacher
  26. Italiandistaccare
  27. Italianstaccare
  28. Italianattaccare
  29. Frenchattaquerdeverb.
  30. Frenchattaque
  31. Englishattack
  32. Englishcounter-attack

From counter- + attack.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic هُجُوم مُضَادّ
  • هُجُوم مُضَادّ (hujūm muḍādd)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Bulgarian контраата́ка, контраатакувам
  • контраата́ка (kontraatáka)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • контраатакувам (kontraatakuvam)to attack in response to an attack by opponents
Catalan contraatac, contraatacar
  • contraatacan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contraatacarto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Chinese Mandarin 反擊 /反击, 逆襲 /逆袭
  • 反擊 /反击 (fǎnjī)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • 逆襲 /逆袭 (nìxí)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • 反擊 /反击 (fǎnjī, fǎnjí)to attack in response to an attack by opponents
Czech protiútok
  • protiútokan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Danish modangreb
  • modangreban attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Dutch tegenaanval
  • tegenaanvalan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Estonian vasturünnak
  • vasturünnakan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Finnish vastahyökkäys, tehdä vastahyökkäys
  • vastahyökkäysan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • tehdä vastahyökkäysto attack in response to an attack by opponents
French contre-attaque, contre-offensive
  • contre-attaquean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contre-offensivean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contrattaquean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • controffensivean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contre-attaquerto attack in response to an attack by opponents
  • contrattaquerto attack in response to an attack by opponents
German Gegenangriff
  • Gegenangriffan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Greek αντεπίθεση, αντεπιτίθεμαι
  • αντεπίθεση (antepíthesi)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • αντεπιτίθεμαι (antepitíthemai)to attack in response to an attack by opponents
Hebrew התקפת נגד
  • התקפת נגד (hatkafát néged)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Hungarian ellentámadás, ellentámadást indít
  • ellentámadásan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • ellentámadást indítto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Icelandic gagnárás
  • gagnárásan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Irish frithionsaí, frithionsaigh
  • frithionsaían attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • frithionsaighto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Italian contrattacco, contrattaccare
  • contrattaccoan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contrattaccareto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Japanese 反撃, 逆襲
  • 反撃 (hangeki)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • 逆襲 (gyakushū)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Korean 역습, 반격
  • 역습 (yeokseup)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • 반격 (ban'gyeok)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Latvian pretuzbrukums
  • pretuzbrukumsan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Lithuanian kontrataka
  • kontratakaan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Māori taupaepae, whana whakairi
  • taupaepaean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • whana whakairian attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Norwegian Bokmål motangrep
  • motangrepan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Persian پاتَک, ضِدِّحَمْله
  • پاتَک (pâtak)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • ضِدِّحَمْله (zedd-e-hamle)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Polish kontratak, kontra
  • kontratakan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • kontraan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • kontratakowaćto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Portuguese contra-ataque, contra-atacar
  • contra-ataquean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contra-atacarto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Romanian contraatac, contra-atac
  • contraatacan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contra-atacan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Russian контрата́ка, контрнаступле́ние
  • контрата́ка (kontratáka)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • контрнаступле́ние (kontrnastuplénije)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • контратакова́ть (kontratakovátʹ)to attack in response to an attack by opponents
Slovak protiútok
  • protiútokan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Spanish contraataque, contraatacar
  • contraataquean attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • contraatacarto attack in response to an attack by opponents
Swahili kaunta
  • kauntaan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Swedish motanfall, motangrepp
  • motanfallan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • motangreppan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • motattackan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • kontringan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • gå till motanfall/motangrepp/motattackto attack in response to an attack by opponents
  • kontrato attack in response to an attack by opponents
Turkish karşı atak, karşı saldırı
  • karşı atakan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • karşı saldırıan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • kontratakan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Ukrainian контрата́ка, контрна́ступ
  • контрата́ка (kontratáka)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
  • контрна́ступ (kontrnástup)an attack made in response to an attack by the opponents
Vietnamese phản công
  • phản côngan attack made in response to an attack by the opponents

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with counter-attack

backtrackfaqIraqpackattacklackstackpacCadillacSlovakjacquesplaquesnacksacmacktaclacshacktackMachslackfacsmack
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

counter-attack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counter-attack

MLA

“counter-attack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counter-attack. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counter-attack,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counter-attack.

Source: counter-attack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.