🔫 To fire a weapon 📷 To take a picture 💨 To move quickly ⚽ To kick or throw 🎯 A shooting event 🌱 A young plant 🌱 To start growing 🎲 To throw dice 🧵 To weave colors 💸 To waste money 🌟 To measure stars

to shoot

∞ 1.8

Fire a gun at a person or animal to try to kill

verb
/ʃut/

NSFW

: disparar a

After a long pause, he took aim and was about to shoot when he heard a noise behind him.
shoot to kill
shoot someone dead
shoot at the police

But this guy could shoot us right fucking here.

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Examples

Every cop in the city thinks we shot our way out of a legitimate bust.

Fiction book (1990)
I want to know how to shoot them myself with my gun.
Mad Dog Williams shot his way out.

The Front Page (1974)
And then the two choices were do I shoot him or do I warn him?

Liam Tuffs
He could have shot you.

Hell of a Summer (2023)
My father and brother were shot down by the Plummer boys.

Stagecoach (1939)
Authorities arrested some of its members and shot several others who resisted capture.

Academic text (2011)
Ultimately, Zimmerman claimed he feared for his life and shot Martin to save his own life.

Academic text (2017)
Instead, Zimmerman chased, confronted, and ultimately shot and killed Martin after a physical struggle.

Academic text (2017)
Even in more prosperous times, we have never, except in self-defense, shot any animal we wouldn't eat.

Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

to shot

vsto shoot

∞ 1.9

To fire a gun or hit something with a bullet

includes the idea of doing this often with intent to hit or kill

to fire

vsto shoot

∞ 1.0

To shoot a gun at a target

focuses on using arms often aiming to hit or kill

to blast

vsto shoot

139 3.5

To hit or shoot something with great force

focuses on attacking with weapons at targets often intending to hit or kill

to open fire

vsto shoot

NSFW

117 4.1

Start shooting at people or things with a gun

describes firing generally not specifically the act of starting an attack

to gun

vsto shoot

97 3.2

To shoot someone or something with a weapon that fires bullets

covers firing any weapon or projectile not only handheld firearms

to gun down

vsto shoot

Offensive

75 7.4

To shoot someone, often causing serious harm or death

is broader covering any firing at targets not always meant to cause death

to shell

vsto shoot

26 7.9

To fire metal containers filled with explosives at a place or people to cause damage

is the broader act of firing weapons not limited to artillery or military use

to pump

vsto shoot

11 6.8

Shoot bullets quickly one after another

refers to single or general firing rather than repeated rapid bursts

to machine-gun

vsto shoot

10 7.4

Shoot many bullets very quickly at someone or something

is the general act of firing any weapon or projectile at a target

to let drive

vsto shoot

Archaic

1 8.2

To shoot something from a gun or bow

is the neutral act of firing not always emphasizing force or momentum

Idioms

to shoot the messenger

9 7.8

Blame or punish the person who brings bad news instead of fixing the problem

to shoot the breeze

Informal

9 6.8

To chat in a relaxed informal way about unimportant things

to shoot from the hip

Informal

9 8.1

To speak or act quickly without thinking carefully

to shoot yourself in the foot

Informal

4 7.5

Cause trouble for yourself by your actions, often by accident

to shoot for the stars

Informal

2 4.7

Try to reach a very high and difficult goal

to shoot the bull

1 8.1

To chat in a relaxed way about everyday things

to shoot someone's face off

Offensive

1 9.9

To surprise someone very strongly, often in a funny way

to shoot from the lip

Informal

1 8.9

To speak quickly without thinking and risk upsetting people

to shoot first and ask questions later

Informal

1 8.4

Act quickly without thinking or checking facts

to shoot off at the mouth

Informal

1 9.4

Say things quickly without thinking that may hurt people or make you sorry later

to shoot your bolt

Informal

1 8.6

To use up all your energy or chances so none remain

to shoot oneself in the foot

Informal

1 8.4

Do or say something that harms your own chances

to shoot one's bolt

Informal

8.8

To use up all your energy or chances

to shoot one's load

Offensive

9.9

Use all your energy at once and have none left in a rude way

Phrasal Verbs

to shoot down

149 4.4

Fire at a plane or missile so it falls to the ground

to shoot for

Informal

41 3.9

To try to reach a big, difficult goal

to shoot down

Informal

35 3.8

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

to shoot up

25 4.1

Rise quickly to a much higher level

to shoot off

Informal

4 4.1

To send a message quickly without much thought

to shoot craps

2 8.4

Play a dice gambling game to try to win money

to shoot holes in

Informal

1 7.2

To find and point out weak points in an idea, plan or argument

to shoot a question

Informal

1 3.7

To ask a question quickly and directly

to shoot a line

Informal

1 8.3

To send a short message to someone by phone or text

to shoot a line

Australian

9.6

To say proud things to make yourself seem better than you are

to shoot one's mouth off

Informal

8.0

To say things carelessly or proudly without thinking about the result

Compounds

photo shoot

66 3.1

A session when someone takes photos of people or things

shoot 'em up

5 8.1

A fast action game or movie with a lot of shooting

turkey shoot

NSFW

4 8.4

An event or situation where winning is very easy, for example a shooting contest with easy targets

shoot-'em-up

NSFW

3 8.0

A fast action film or game with lots of shooting and fights

point-and-shoot camera

3 3.4

A small light camera with automatic settings for taking simple photos

bamboo shoot

1 2.1

A young stem of bamboo you can eat and use as a vegetable in Asian cooking

How Forceful

to bombard

13 5.4

blast

248 3.0

to shoot

NSFW

∞ 1.8

Surface Forms

shoot infinitive

shooting present participle

shoots third person singular

shot past

shot past participle

Etymology

Shoot comes from an old English word sceotan meaning 'to throw' or 'send quickly'. So to shoot a gun is like 'throwing' a bullet out, which is why it means to fire a weapon.