physical attack
Violent bodily contact
A physical attack is an act of aggression using bodily force or a weapon against a person or thing.
The phrase distinguishes violence involving contact—punching, kicking, stabbing—from verbal attacks or cyberattacks: The protest turned violent when physical attacks broke out.
In gaming and fantasy contexts, physical attacks contrast with magical or ranged attacks.
- fistTightly closed hand
- bare knucklesHands without boxing gloves
- stranglingCompressing throat to suffocate
- assaultViolent offensive act
- batteryPortable electricity storage
violent crime · bodily harm · injury · revenge · knife · brass knuckles · mugging · street fight · kicking · slapping · punching · body blow · blunt force · anger · death · stabbing · club · trauma
- violenceviolence, brutality, aggression, bloodshed, bloodbath
- threatsdanger, threats, menace, death threats, ransom note
physical attackverbal attack
Aggressive spoken criticism
verbal assault · verbal threat · emotional abuse · character assassination · cyberattack
physical attackself-defense
Protecting oneself from harm
protection · rescue · retreat · evasion · shielding
physical attackgentle touch
healing touch · embrace · caress · medical treatment · nursing
physical, attack, physically, physic, physician, physics, attacker, attackers, attacked