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to shoot a question

to shoot a question

1 3.7
To ask a question quickly and directly
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : hacer una pregunta
  • Consulting his yellow sheet, the Prime Minister shot questions at I) avan.

Examples

  • Clay pauses as his mother shoots questions at him.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • "He shot a question to Jeeves, reveling in the restored freedom of using a neural implant.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • When he told Schwartz about times when a lot of hours passed without his knowing it, like when he'd sat with that sheep, or about drinking at least a canteen of Mr. Mac's white lightning every day for the past few years, Schwartz began scribbling and shooting questions at him.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The teacher encouraged students to shoot a question if they were confused about the material.

  • During the meeting, I decided to shoot a question to clarify the project timeline.

  • As the discussion progressed, he felt comfortable enough to shoot a question about the new policy.

Synonyms

to ask
vsto shoot a question
1.0

To request information or an answer from someone

is more sudden and spontaneous instead of routine information seeking
to question
vsto shoot a question
570 1.0

To ask someone questions to get information

is a single quick and direct act rather than a series to test knowledge
to query
vsto shoot a question
18 3.7

To ask a person a question to show doubt or get information

is more direct and spontaneous rather than showing doubt or careful inquiry
to fire away
vsto shoot a question
  • Informal
11 5.6

Start asking questions or speaking freely when allowed

is more spontaneous and direct rather than needing permission to start
to lob a question
vsto shoot a question
  • Informal
6.5

To ask a casual question to start a conversation or break the ice

is more direct and immediate instead of casual or nonchalant

Antonyms

1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

How Direct

to blurt out
  • Informal
42 3.9
to shoot a question
  • Informal
1 3.7
to ask
1.0
to pose
339 3.4
to inquire
  • Formal
16 3.7

Surface Forms

shoot a question infinitive
shooting a question present participle
shoots a question third person singular
shot a question past participle

Morphology

shoot + a + question

The verb 'shoot' is being used metaphorically to mean 'utter or launch quickly', so a learner who knows 'shoot' and 'question' can often infer 'ask a question quickly or directly' but the sense relies on an extended, idiomatic use of 'shoot' rather than strict compositionality. This projectile/send metaphor occurs in other English phrases (e.g. 'shoot me a message') but is language-specific and not fully predictable without exposure, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Shoot a question may come from the quick action of shooting a gun, making a picture of sending a question fast and directly at someone. So, it now means 'to ask a question' quickly or without hesitation.