stab
[verb]
Synonyms:
- pierce, impale, jab, knife, spear, stick, thrust, transfix, wound
[noun]
Synonyms:
- wound, gash, incision, jab, puncture, thrust
- twinge, ache, pang, prick
- make or have a stab at: attempt, endeavour, have a go, try

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Related Words: dagger, dirk, poniard, prong

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English Thesaurus: attack, ambush, mug, stab, assault, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. stab¹ /stæb/ verb (past tense and past participle stabbed, present participle stabbing)

1. [transitive] to push a knife into someone or something ⇒ stabbing:
He was stabbed to death in a fight.
stab somebody in the heart/arm etc
She had been stabbed in the chest repeatedly.

2. [intransitive and transitive] to make quick pushing movements with your finger or something pointed Synonym : jab:
He raised his voice and stabbed the air with his pen.

3. stab somebody in the back to do something that harms someone who likes and trusts you Synonym : betray

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. stab² noun [countable]

1. an act of stabbing or trying to stab someone with a knife:
severe stab wounds
a stab victim
He killed him with a stab to the heart.

2. stab of pain/disappointment/fear etc a sudden sharp feeling of pain or a strong emotion:
He felt a stab of guilt.

3. stab at (doing) something informal an attempt to do something, often not successfully
have/make/take a stab at (doing) something
I’ll have one more stab at it.

4. stab in the back when someone you thought was a friend tries to harm you

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

stab
noun
I. injury
VERB + STAB make the boy made a stab at the pig
STAB + NOUN wound
PREP. ~ at

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

stab
II. sudden pain
ADJ. sharp, sudden
VERB + STAB feel
PHRASES ~ of He felt a sharp stab of disappointment.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

stab
III. attempt
ADJ. brave, good | unsuccessful
VERB + STAB have, make, take
PREP. ~ at I had a stab at answering the question.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

stab
verb
ADV. repeatedly He is accused of repeatedly stabbing a sixteen-year-old boy.
VERB + STAB threaten to | try to
PREP. at, in He was stabbed in the chest.
with I stabbed at my meat with my fork.
PHRASES be found stabbed He was found stabbed in his car.
stab sb to death

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

attack to use violence against someone and try to hurt them:
She was attacked by a man with a baseball bat.
Police dogs are trained to attack.
ambush /ˈæmbʊʃ/ if a group of people ambush someone, they hide and wait for them and then attack them:
The judge was ambushed by gunmen as he drove to work at the courthouse.
mug to attack someone and take money from them in a public place such as a street:
He was mugged on his way home from school.
stab to attack someone with a knife:
The victim had been stabbed in the neck.
assault to attack and hurt someone – used especially when talking about this as a criminal offence:
He assaulted a flight attendant who refused to serve him more drinks.
be set upon by somebody/something written to be attacked by a group of people:
He died outside his home after being set upon by a gang of youths.
turn on to suddenly change your behaviour and attack the person you are with, when they do not expect this:
The dog suddenly turned on him, sinking its teeth into his arm.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

attack noun [uncountable and countable] an act of using weapons against an enemy in a war:
The US was threatening to launch an attack on Iran.
The men had been carrying out rocket attacks on British forces.
Bombs have been falling throughout the night, and the city is still under attack (=being attacked).
invasion noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when an army enters a country and tries to take control of it:
The Allies began their invasion of Europe.
The threat of foreign invasion is very real.
raid noun [countable] a short attack on a place by soldiers or planes, intended to cause damage but not take control:
an air raid
NATO warplanes carried out a series of bombing raids on the city.
The village has been the target of frequent raids by rebel groups.
strike noun [countable] a sudden military attack, especially after a serious disagreement:
Senior Israeli officials warned that they were still considering a military strike.
the possibility of a nuclear strike
assault noun [countable] a military attack intended to take control of a city, area, or building controlled by an enemy:
The final military assault on Kwangju began at 3 am on May 27.
Hitler launched an all-out assault (=using as many soldiers, weapons, planes etc as possible) on Russia.
ambush noun [uncountable and countable] a sudden attack by people who have been waiting and hiding, especially an attack on a vehicle or people who are travelling somewhere:
Five soldiers were shot in the back and killled in the ambush.
Enemy forces waiting in ambush opened fire on the vehicle.
counterattack noun [uncountable and countable] a military attack made in response to an attack by an enemy:
Government forces launched a counterattack against the guerillas.
If they successfully occupied the city, they would need to be capable of defending it against enemy counterattack.
onslaught noun [countable] formal a large violent attack by an army:
In 1544 there was a full-scale onslaught on France, in which the English took Boulogne.
The troops were preparing for another onslaught against the enemy.
mug to attack someone and take money from them in a public place such as a street:
He was mugged on his way home from school.
stab to attack someone with a knife:
The victim had been stabbed in the neck.
be set upon by somebody/something written to be attacked by a group of people:
He died outside his home after being set upon by a gang of youths.
turn on to suddenly change your behaviour and attack the person you are with, when they do not expect this:
The dog suddenly turned on him, sinking its teeth into his arm.
invade to enter a country and try to get control of it using force:
The Romans invaded Britain 2,000 years ago.
storm to suddenly attack a city or building that is well defended by getting inside it and taking control:
Elite troops stormed the building and rescued the hostages.
besiege /bɪˈsiːdʒ/ to surround a city or building with soldiers in order to stop the people inside from getting out or from receiving supplies:
In April 655, Osman’s palace was besieged by rebels.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲