to shoot for the stars
2
4.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
apuntar alto
- Despite the challenges ahead, she decided to shoot for the stars in her career.
If you shoot for the stars, you might land on the moon.
- If you shoot for the stars, you might land on the moon.
- People like to say shoot for the stars and if you hit halfway, you're still up in the sky.
Examples
-
If you shoot for the stars, you might land on the moon.
-
So if it's between the low ground or high ground, why not at least shoot for the stars?
Blog text (22) -
Why not shoot for the stars, then?
Fiction book (1993) -
Now, 10,000+ book sales later and well on my way to my new career, I say shoot for the stars.
Blog text (21) -
Starts off life as an orphan in Columbia and sort of shot for the stars, so to speak.
-
So, I mean, we shoot for the stars and then, you know, think Ansieri will pause back and say, hang on a second.
-
NDH: You mentioned your mom gave you the camera and the encouragement to shoot for the stars!
Blog text (32) -
But Maya, trust me, if we want the show to take off... ...we've got to shoot for the stars.
-
Wow, you're shooting for the stars, aren't you, Walsh?
-
We'll shoot for the stars—and hit the roof; this is reason for hope, not despair.
Blog text (11)
Synonyms
239
2.3
Try to reach a goal
156
3.7
To work very hard to reach a goal
106
4.1
To want very much to achieve an important goal
79
2.8
To try to reach a goal
15
4.7
To try very hard to get a promotion or top position
15
3.4
To have very big goals for the future
5
3.9
Try to reach very difficult goals
4
4.4
To try very hard to win first place in a competition
4
4.9
To try to achieve very big goals
3
7.1
To try to do very big or difficult things to get what you want
1
3.0
Work to make a dream come true
1
8.3
To try to achieve things that are very unlikely or impossible
Plan to get something you want, like a job or prize
Antonyms
- Informal
1
6.9
Choose smaller goals that are easier to reach when big ones feel impossible
How Ambitious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase maps directly onto a simple target metaphor: 'shoot' (send/aim) + 'for' (toward a target) + 'stars' (distant/high targets). A B1 learner who knows these constituents can readily infer the non-literal sense 'aim for extremely high goals', and this metaphorical pattern is common cross-linguistically, so it is transparent.
Etymology
Shoot for the stars comes from the clear image of trying to shoot an arrow or bullet up toward the bright stars in the sky, something nearly impossible to reach. So, it means 'to aim for very big or difficult goals'.