A counterattack is an attack you make after someone has already attacked you. Armies counterattack when they have been pushed and then strike back. A football team counterattacks when the other side has come forward and left space behind. In an argument, a counterattack is when you stop only defending and go after the other person’s weak point. It is both a noun (the attack itself) and a verb (to make that attack). Sports writers love it; war reporting uses it; in a meeting it can sound a little dramatic. You may also see counter-attack with a hyphen; it is the same word. Though actually, it is not the first punch. If nobody has attacked yet, it is just an attack.