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noun

DDoS

DEE-doss
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DDoS (noun) means an attack that knocks a website or online service offline by flooding it with far more traffic or requests than it can handle, sent at the same time from a large number of separate machines. Example: “The shop was down for an hour during a DDoS that peaked at several million requests a second.”

noun
1
computing An attack that knocks a website or online service offline by flooding it with far more traffic or requests than it can handle, sent at the same time from a large number of separate machines.
"The shop was down for an hour during a DDoS that peaked at several million requests a second."
"A DDoS against the game servers ruined the launch weekend."
verb
1
informal, computing To carry out such an attack against a site or service.
"Someone DDoSed the forum right after the announcement went up."

How to use DDoS

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSwamping a website with so much traffic that it stops working.

When to use it

Capitalised DDoS, with the lower-case o reflecting 'of'. The verb forms DDoSed and DDoSing are informal but widespread.

Memory tip

Note the odd capitalisation: DDoS, not DDOS, because the small o stands for 'of'.

Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
DoS → botnet hack → data breach →
Common pairings
DDoS attack launch a DDoS DDoS protection mitigate a DDoS under DDoS
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The shop was down for an hour during a _____ that peaked at several million requests a second.

Etymology

An initialism of distributed denial of service.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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distributed denial-of-service attack traffic flood volumetric attack flood take offline knock offline

Related words

flood spam drown swamp influx blizzard torrent overflow

Rhymes for DDoS

DoS
See all rhymes for DDoS →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a DDoS and a DoS attack?
Both aim to make a service unavailable by overwhelming it. A DoS attack comes from a single source, which makes it easier to identify and block. A DDoS is distributed: the traffic arrives from many machines at once, often thousands, so there is no single address to shut out.
Where does all the traffic in a DDoS come from?
Much of it comes from a botnet, a collection of ordinary computers, routers, cameras and other connected devices that have been infected and can be directed remotely. The owners of those devices are usually unaware they are taking part.
Does a DDoS steal data?
Not in itself. A DDoS is about availability: it makes a service unreachable rather than reading or copying what is stored on it. It can, however, be used as a distraction or as leverage alongside other activity.
What is the meaning of DDoS?
"DDoS" (noun) means an attack that knocks a website or online service offline by flooding it with far more traffic or requests than it can handle, sent at the same time from a large number of separate machines.

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