Counterattacked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have carried out a retaliatory measure against an attack from an adversary To have conducted a strategic maneuver aimed at responding to an initial offensive by an opponent To have engaged in a counter-offensive tactic following a provocation or assault from another party
2. Responded to an enemy's assault with an offensive action of one's own
3. Launched a military or strategic response aimed at reversing an opponent's advance

Etymology: "Counterattacked" is the past tense and past participle of "counterattack," so its history lies in the verb it inflects. That verb is a compound of "counter-" and "attack." The prefix "counter-" comes from Old French "contre," meaning "against" or "opposite," which descends from Latin "contra." The base "attack" entered English from French "attaquer," which Old French borrowed from Italian "attaccare," meaning to fasten or join, a sense that gradually shifted toward assaulting an enemy. Put together, the verb describes meeting an assault with an assault of one's own, so the sense of striking back is built into the parts. The inflected ending "-ed" simply marks the completed action, so the form reads as "struck back at attackers" in the past.

Synonyms: retaliated, responded