firing off
16
6.0
- noun
- /ˈfaɪərɪŋ ɔf/
- The soldier was prepared, and he quickly began firing off shots to signal for help.
- firing off rounds
- fires off a shot
- firing off a shotgun
Examples
-
During the competition, she was disqualified for firing off too many bullets in a short period.
-
Coach fired off a warning shot.
-
I fired off another shot, and another one of them fell.
Fiction book (1999) -
- Somebody fired off a few shots.
-
"I loaded another magazine and fired off the entire round.
Fiction book (1993) -
Accident or not, firing off a gun in a motel is a criminal act, end of story.
-
He just fired off a round next to my head.
-
He fired off a shot by my head and told me to keep my mouth shut and lay still.
-
Phil fires off four more rounds, but again, no results.
Fiction book (1993) -
Pancho had fired off a couple of quick shots more for show than for effect.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
582
2.3
Firing a bullet or explosive from a weapon
319
2.3
An event when someone shoots a gun and a bullet leaves the gun
238
2.3
Firing a gun for practice or sport
155
2.5
The sound or act of shooting guns
138
3.0
The act of shooting a gun
6
5.5
A single shot made when a gun or weapon fires
5
5.6
A quick group of shots fired together
2
3.7
A single firing of a rifle that makes a loud sound
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'firing off' is directly derivable from 'firing' (discharge of a weapon) with the particle 'off' adding a sense of outward action or completion, so the combined meaning 'the act of discharging' is compositional. This verb+particle pattern is common and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Firing off: The noun firing off comes from the picture of a gun being shot: when you pull the trigger the firing happens and the gun goes off, making a loud bang. So firing off means 'the act of shooting a weapon'.