✈️ To destroy in air 🚫 To reject

to shoot down

31 3.8

Say no to an idea or plan in a sudden, strong way

phrasal verb
/ʃut daʊn/

Informal

: rechazar

It's frustrating when you propose a plan, only to have someone shoot down your suggestion without consideration.

So things like, she shot down my arguments.

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Examples

And when I try to be original, she just shoots me down.

Ramona and Beezus (2010)
"So, what, I ask one question and your theory about his wanting attention is shot down?"

Fiction book (1993)
And then the next three things that got shot down, what did they call them?
But now you join up with these very people united to shoot down this bill.

Blog text (10)
To be clear, I'm not trying to shoot down the overall point.

Blog text (15)
And then he came out against the Florida amendment, which would have basically shot down any restrictions on abortion.
The latest move to ban BPA from food products has been shot down after four years of consideration.

Blog text (11)
Every time I come up with an idea... that's fresh or unconventional, I just get shot down.

Making Love (1982)
Of course, I've thrown out a lot of thoughts today, and you've pretty much shot them all down, so--

Possession (2002)
Whenever I suggest a new project, my boss shoots down my ideas immediately.

Synonyms

to reject

vsto shoot down

839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

is more abrupt and often more forceful when dismissing suggestions

to kill

vsto shoot down

682 2.8

Stop something from working or continuing

is a forceful dismissal but may not always permanently end the idea

to turn down

vsto shoot down

312 2.9

Refuse an offer, invitation, or request

is more abrupt and decisive than a polite refusal of offers or invitations

to decline

vsto shoot down

272 3.4

To say no politely to an offer or invitation

is harsher and more decisive than this polite or formal refusal

to defeat

vsto shoot down

171 2.7

To stop a proposal from passing, often by vote

is usually a quick dismissing response rather than an organized campaign to stop it

to vote out

vsto shoot down

57 3.2

Reject a proposal by voting against it

is a rapid dismissing of an idea, not necessarily a formal removal by vote

to vote down

vsto shoot down

18 4.2

Reject a proposal or plan because more people say no

is a direct spoken or critical refusal rather than a formal group vote

to rebuff

vsto shoot down

18 7.7

To say no to someone or their offer in a quick rude way

is used mainly to dismiss ideas or proposals rather than to insult people

to wave away

vsto shoot down

4 5.3

Treat a question or problem as not important

is a decisive refusal that ends discussion rather than casually ignoring it

to turn thumbs down

vsto shoot down

1 7.0

To show that you do not agree with or support something

is a blunt verbal or written dismissal not only a symbolic gesture

Antonyms

to accept

∞ 1.3

To believe or agree that something is true

to endorse

183 4.2

To publicly show support for a person or idea

How Forceful

to demolish

15 4.2

to shoot down

Informal

31 3.8

to reject

839 1.9

to dismiss

332 3.0

to criticize

701 3.3

to question

777 3.5

Surface Forms

shoot down infinitive

shooting down present participle

shoots down third person singular

shot down past

shot down past participle

Morphology

shoot + down

The meaning 'to fire at an aircraft and force it to fall' is directly derivable from combining 'shoot' (to fire) with 'down' (to bring down/decline), since the particle 'down' adds direction/completion to the action. This verb + particle composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern in English phrasal verbs, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Shoot down comes from the picture of using shoot to hit something above so it comes down. So when someone 'shoots down' an idea, they sharply reject it.