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Synonyms

heart attack

American  

noun

Pathology.

  1. damage to an area of heart muscle that is deprived of oxygen, usually due to blockage of a diseased coronary artery, typically accompanied by chest pain radiating down one or both arms, the severity of the attack varying with the extent and location of the damage; myocardial infarction.

heart attack British  

noun

  1. any sudden severe instance of abnormal heart functioning, esp coronary thrombosis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
heart attack Scientific  

  1. Necrosis of a region of the heart muscle caused by an interruption in the supply of blood to the heart, usually as a result of occlusion of a coronary artery resulting from coronary artery disease. Symptoms typically include sudden, crushing chest pain, nausea, and sweating. Characteristic changes in the electrocardiogram are used to diagnose heart attacks.

  2. Also called myocardial infarction

heart attack Cultural  

  1. An episode of heart failure or the stopping of normal heart function; a coronary thrombosis. Symptoms of a heart attack include pain and pressure in the chest, which often spread to the shoulder, arm, and neck. Today, physicians tend to define heart attack in terms of muscle damage to the heart caused by oxygen deprivation.

Etymology

Origin of heart attack

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Over time, this can damage blood vessels and significantly raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious conditions.

From Science Daily

Exposure to haze can cause various health issues, from itchy eyes and nose bleeds to heart attacks.

From BBC

In tests on tens of thousands of people, the jabs - alongside existing heart medicines - were linked to a 20% reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes.

From BBC

“My dad came in by ambulance. I think he had a heart attack. Is he here?”

From Literature

The more calcium you have in your heart, the lower your LDL cholesterol should be to help reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.